No Goodbyes
by Kuro Mitsu
Summary: Itachi left, after three years together he just disappeared without a word. Now he's back, but Naruto isn't so willing to just forgive and forget. AU/AR, yaoi. ItaNaru, slight SasuSaku
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit from this story.

**AN:** So I really have no clue where the idea for this came from. But I've seen so many stories where Sasuke is the one who is being groomed for carrying on the Uchiha name and getting married while Itachi is off doing whatever he wants, that I wanted to switch that and have Itachi be the one in that position. This is the first time I've tried writing in first POV, so it's a bit different from my other stories.

**Summary:** Itachi left, after three years together he just disappeared without a word. Now he's back, but Naruto isn't so willing to just forgive and forget. AU/AR, two-shot, ItaNaru, slight SasuSaku, angst, cursing, maybe a lemon in second part. Characters are a bit OOC, but they need to be for the story.

_Big thank you to Kirie for reading over this for me.^_^_

**No Goodbyes**

That tingling sensation that had first disturbed me when I stepped into the room got worse as I scanned the faces around me. I knew I was being watched. Just as I perused the people on my side of the room, my gaze locked onto a set of piercing black eyes I had almost thought to never see again. Though I was here with Pein, a close friend of his, I'd had no idea _he_ was here_; _staring right at me was Itachi Uchiha. My ex-boyfriend, the man who broke my heart and left me without even a note of goodbye or a 'fuck off'.

Of course, it stands to reason there might have been a good chance he'd show up here. This party, which I'd been talked into attending by Pein, Itachi's closest friend and part of the elite rich of society – to which I, Naruto Uzumaki, was definitely _not_ a part of – was Itachi's scene. My azure blue eyes glared up at Pein, who simply shot me a halfhearted grin at the dark expression on my face. I'd been set up, by someone whom I'd finally considered a close friend. He and I had gotten very close after Itachi left, becoming a good friend to me, which is what I'd needed at the time. Pein had told me that Itachi was back in town, but so far either he hadn't wanted to see me or I'd gotten lucky, as we hadn't run into each other. Until now.

It had been just after nine this morning when my phone had rung, the caller I.D. showing Pein Hill's now familiar number. I'd met Pein when I had first begun dating Itachi almost five years ago. He and Itachi had been best friends pretty much their whole lives, and it showed in the everyday bantering and teasing they exchanged. They ran in the same circles, both being from wealthy backgrounds, which is why it was so mind-boggling that I'd even met Itachi. His father Fugaku was the founder and CEO of his own pharmaceutical company, and his mother, Mikoto, was a top researcher at the large laboratory the company owned. Pein's parents were what was known as 'old wealth', his great-grandfather some sort of land baron up in Montana back in the early 1900's, with enough money to keep Pein's own grandkids from having to work if they didn't want to. Pein's grandparents had moved here to California in the '60's, just across the street from where Itachi's parents had their own home built after coming to the states from Japan. Pein's mother was a stay at home mom, who spent the majority of her time ordering off the home-shopping networks and spoiling her two Pekingese dogs more than her son. I'm not really sure what Mr. Hill does, Pein just makes jokes about it while sort of skipping around the actual subject. The only time I've ever seen either Itachi's or Pein's parents was at some social benefit Itachi dragged me to a few years ago. Though I did see his younger brother Sasuke quite a bit; we'd become good friends over the years, even though he was actually a bit more stoic and cold than Itachi could be.

It wasn't like Itachi had been hiding me from his parents exactly, but at times it had certainly felt that way. If we went out, it was to places his parents didn't frequent. And when I did finally meet them, all I got was a cold glance from his father and stilted greetings from his mother. To be honest, I don't know who had the more trouble dealing with Itachi's homosexuality: him or his parents. He'd been more nervous and jittery about introducing me than I was to meet them. And they obviously knew; neither were surprised. In fact his father had muttered something about me being 'another one'. That had been only a couple of months before Itachi had left.

So I had been more than surprised when Pein invited me to attend this gathering with him. "Come on Naruto, it'll be fun!" he'd begged (whined). A small smile lifted my lips at his pleading tone.

Sighing, I asked, "Am I gonna have to wear a tux? I'm not going if I do, there's enough penguins in the world." I absolutely hated wearing suits, especially tuxedoes. I'd had to wear one to my cousin Ino's wedding when I was fifteen, and it had been the most miserable four hours of my life. I'd vowed never to put one on again. Needless to say my prom date hadn't been all that happy when I'd foregone the accursed suit and come out of the house in my favorite pair of black jeans and one of those tux shirts, y'know the ones with the tux designed on the front? Not like I'd really cared anyway; my mother had set me up with one of our neighbor's daughters, not knowing at the time my preference wasn't for the fairer sex. 'Course, my date couldn't really complain, as she'd been too excited at being able to go.

Anyway, Pein assured me that some nice slacks and an actual shirt – not a t-shirt – would do. Itachi had taken me to a few of these upper-class affairs, but only when it was vital for him to show up as he knew I detested them. I was still thinking over the invitation as Pein's voice turned high-pitched and whining, "Come on Naruto, pleeeeaaaassse? I don't wanna ask Konan, she's been really moody lately, plus I have more fun with you." Wow, if he was desperate enough to consider his on-again, off-again psycho girlfriend Konan, he must really need a date. She hates these things even more than I do.

"Well, I guess I could go, but only for a little while," I finally capitulated, hearing Pein's excited whoop of delight. "What time do I need to be ready?" I asked.

"I'll come pick you up around 8. Thanks a ton, Naruto!" The phone cut off as he hung up, and I laid the phone back on its cradle; I'm such a sucker. Damn, now I have to find something to wear.

* * *

As promised, Pein knocked on my apartment door at 8 precisely. He was in a very nice Armani suit, the dark gray material of the pants and jacket going good with his orange hair and warm brown eyes. He was about half a foot taller than me, his physique nicely muscled though he wasn't as muscular as Itachi. If he'd been gay, and I hadn't been dating Itachi, I would have made a move on him years ago. His skin was pale, a creamy tone that spoke clearly of his mother's Irish heritage. His chin was chiseled, a cute little dip in the center that he boasted drove all the girls wild. The only thing that I found distracting was his piercings. He had six silver barbells through his nose and about half a dozen studs lining each ear.

Bright white teeth gleamed as he grinned down at me. "You clean up pretty good. You ready?" His words caused a flush to appear on my cheeks, and he laughed as he saw the red creep up my face. Pein always loved to tease me, said it was one of his favorite pastimes. Jerk.

"Shut up," I mumbled and pushed him out the door, locking it behind me and following him down the first floor of my building. I had decided on a pair of new khaki slacks and a royal blue polo, which was only a shade darker than my eyes, a tan sportscoat and a simple pair of light tan loafers on my feet. My golden-blonde hair was brushed back off my face; it had gotten a bit long since I hadn't had a haircut in a while, and some of it spiked up on the sides now matter how much I tried to tame it. My bangs, which had grown down to my cheeks, were tucked behind my ears. I really needed to have my hair cut soon.

Stepping off the elevator, I noticed a long black limousine waiting at the curb in front of my building. "Doesn't anyone in your family ever drive?" I quipped. Pein just laughed.

"Why should we when someone else can do it for us?" A typical 'rich kid' answer from him. I really liked Pein, but sometimes he was just _too_ spoiled. I guess coming from a working class family, it was hard to understand how some people could just throw money away like that. My father Minato, who had moved to California from Japan with his American father after my grandmother died when he was ten, had been taught to be self-sufficient and began working at sixteen. He'd gotten a job at a local steel mill, and had met my mother Kushina when he was nineteen and she was eighteen. My father had instilled the belief of working hard and being self-sufficient into me, and because of that I'd been able to work my way through four years of college without having to ask my parents for money, a feat I was very proud of.

The limo driver, a portly man who looked to be in his early forties, opened the back door for us as we stepped onto the sidewalk. Pein motioned for me to enter first, and I slid forward onto plush leather seats as he climbed in behind me and sat across from me, the partition at the front giving us privacy from the driver. A few seconds later I felt the front door shut and the car start. Pein reached over to the bar along the left side of the vehicle, grabbing a bottle of what looked to be vodka.

"You want some?" I shook my head. Though I was old enough to drink at twenty-four, I never really drank a lot. Me and alcohol just didn't mix. I watched him pour himself a small shot glass full, tip his head back and drain it, then repeat the process. For some reason he seemed almost… nervous.

"Pein?" I called, my right eyebrow lifted in question.

"Hmm?" He continued pouring and swallowing.

"What's going on? The only time when you drink like this is when you're nervous or guilty about something. So come on, spill."

Pein's hand stilled. He plastered a happy smile on his face, "Nothing is going on!" Of course, I didn't believe him, but I shrugged it off for now. We rode in silence for another five minutes, the vodka bottle once again back with the other bottles of alcohol. Pein actually fidgeted as he sat, his hands twitching, and I knew something was going on, but as we stopped in front of his palatial three-story house (mansion), I let it go. I'd find out later.

The door opened, and before even stepping outside I could hear the sounds of dozens of people laughing and talking. I really hated coming to these parties, but I'd promised Pein, and besides, I was already here. Sucking in a breath, I allowed him to lead me inside and into the 'lion's den'.

Walking behind Pein, I entered the double front doors and gave my jacket to the doorman who was collecting everyone's coats to be put away in the large closet adjacent to the ballroom. The glass doors leading into the ballroom were open, and I stepped into the beautifully decorated room. Pein's mother had pretty much gone all out with the cut-crystal vases of white lilies and pale yellow roses adorning what looked to be maybe two dozen round tables on the left side of the room. White lace tablecloths were draped over each, and four place settings were arranged neatly on every table with lit candles in glass sconces in the center around the flowers. The elaborate chandelier twinkled above, the hundreds of crystals hanging from it reflecting light in every which direction. Soft classical music was playing in the background, barely heard above the chatter of the guests. Waiters and waitresses dressed in black traversed the room with trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres.

Pein stayed by my side for the most part, introducing me to anyone I didn't know and stopping to converse with a few people I did. I briefly noticed Sasuke in conversation with Neji Hyuuga, whose father ran a shipping business that Uchiha Corp. used. Sasuke looked up and saw me, and I waved absently to him and Sakura, Sasuke's fiancé and my best friend, before turning back to Pein. We'd been here for all of twenty minutes when I looked up and saw _him_ watching me from the other side of the room. Anger welled up in me as I caught Itachi's amused gaze, and I turned away to glower up at Pein.

"You asshole! You knew he'd be here, didn't you?" I accused, furious with Pein for doing this.

Pein had the audacity to smile at me. "Come on, Naruto, be truthful. You never would have come tonight if you'd known Itachi would be here." His voice was low, but still I could hear the firm tone.

I didn't say anything else; I spun on my heel and stalked towards the entrance, only to be stopped by Itachi's imposing form blocking my way. He looked exactly the same; damn, but he could still make my heart flutter. I mentally slapped myself for this thought as I stared obstinately up at him. His obsidian eyes scanned almost hungrily over me, but I just snarled at him.

"Come now Naruto, no need to make a scene," his cultured tone washed over me. I'd not heard his voice in over two years, and hearing the deep yet smooth baritone took me back to when we were together. Lying in bed, him whispering in my ear, his seductive laughter. No, I can't let him get to me. He left me, just took off without a word. I had every right to hate him. My glare was directed at him as I tried to dodge around him to the door, but he just matched my every move and prevented me from escaping. I felt a muscled body at my back, and turned just enough to spy Pein behind me.

"Don't fucking talk to me!" I hissed when Pein opened his mouth. He looked a bit startled at my vehemence, but nodded and closed his mouth. Itachi chuckled and began walking to me, his eyes raking over me almost physically. I jerked back when he placed a large hand on my wrist, but his grip remained firm. Short of digging my feet into the marble floor and causing a huge commotion, I had no choice but to let him drag me into the foyer, unmindful of the curious stares of the guests. He continued on, heedless of my struggling once we were out of the ballroom, and headed straight for the home office next to the front doors.

Looking back at Pein, Itachi threw him a small smirk and closed the door, locking it and effectively muting the sounds of the party. He placed the key in his shirt pocket, and unless I was willing to jump him and dig through his pocket I was stuck in here with him.

Yanking my arm from his grasp once the door was locked, I stomped over to the window by the antique Queen Anne desk and promptly ignored Itachi. He didn't say a word, just went to the brown leather sofa on the other side of the office and sat down. I could feel his eyes on me, and it was starting to grate on my nerves.

A mutinous glare on my face, I finally faced him. He looked pretty much the same as he had two years ago. His midnight-black hair was long, the thick strands tied back in a ponytail that reached the upper part of his back. His bangs were long, falling down the sides of his face, and I recalled how I used to love running my fingers through his silky hair when it was let down. _Damn it, stop doing that!_ I admonished myself. I didn't want to remember the good times with him; it just made everything worse.

I continued my perusal of him, noting his skin was still that smooth porcelain white. I used to marvel at the differences between our skin tones, his so pale while mine was dark. My skin was an olive complexion, a trait I had inherited from my dad along with my hair and eyes. With my blonde hair I tended to look more like a surfer.

His black slacks and crisp white dress shirt displayed a lithe and sleekly muscled body. He towered over me, a daunting 6'3" to my measly 5'7". I'd gotten my mother's height, as well as some of her features. Everyone always told me I looked more like her than my dad. Great, so I was short and looked like a woman. 'Course, it didn't help that I weighed 130 pounds soaking wet and was as slender as a girl.

Huffing in annoyance as he just stared at me with amusement, I turned my attention back to the window. I hope he doesn't intend to simply stare at me all night; I needed to get home, I have to be up early in the morning to go to work. I still worked at the corner café where I first met him all those years ago; he'd come in during his lunch break, and I had been his waiter, though now I had worked myself up to manager. I hadn't really been looking for a relationship at the time, but he'd come back every day after, each time asking specifically for me to wait on him. I'd been flattered of course, he was after all an extremely handsome man. For three weeks he pursued me, wearing me down until finally I agreed to go out with him. That one date had been the start of our three-year relationship. Little did I know it would end on the same day.

Onyx orbs regarded me closely. I felt the weight of that stare, and after enduring it for several moments I leaned against the window embrasure and met his gaze, my arms folded defensively across my chest. If I'm to be stuck in here with him, I may as well put this time to good use and ask him the question that had been plaguing my mind for the last two years.

"Why did you leave without saying goodbye?" My voice came out steady, a fact I was very proud of considering my desire to rant and scream at him.

Itachi remained silent, which pissed me off. The least he could do was answer my question!

"Two fucking years, Itachi! You disappear without a word, no letter, nothing. I didn't know if you were even alive! How could you do that to me?! And especially on _that_ day!" His eyes left mine, almost like he was ashamed to look me in the eye. "I thought you loved me. But I guess that's what I got for thinking, huh? 'Cause if you really love someone, you don't just vanish without a trace. If you didn't want to be with me anymore you should have told me. I deserved a note at the very least." My breath was heaving now, all the emotions I'd been holding within bursting out. I felt tears threatening to pour out of my eyes, from anger or hurt at seeing him again I didn't know. I didn't want him to see me cry, but it was getting harder to keep them at bay. I hated myself for it, but I still loved him. I must be a glutton for punishment.

Looking back out into the darkness just beyond the window, I heard as Itachi stood up from the sofa and began walking towards me, his footsteps muted on the red and gold Oriental rug. I refused to look at him; my eyes had a film of tears obscuring my vision, and my body had begun to shake lightly. I jerked roughly when I felt Itachi's arms wrap around me, holding me like he used to. I fought to escape his embrace, but he tightened his grasp until I stopped fighting.

I felt his head nuzzle the side of mine, his breath fanning the fine hairs at the top of my nape gently. I scowled, not wanting to be comforted yet despite myself enjoying every moment of it. It's been so long since I felt his touch, and a part of me couldn't deny it felt good to be in his arms again.

"I know I don't deserve your forgiveness," his deep voice vibrated next to my ear, "but I am sorry. I never meant to hurt you, Naruto." Oh god, why couldn't I move? I had all these things I'd planned to say to him in my head, but I was frozen. His words had the tears flowing down my cheeks immediately, and I despised myself for it. I couldn't shake his arms off, so I remained rigid as my body trembled slightly. He'd been such a huge part of my life, and when he'd left I had refused to let anyone see me cry, keeping my emotions bottled up with a fake smile.

I don't know how long I remained in his embrace, but eventually my tears dried and I let the anger surface. Did he think a measly apology would suffice? You don't spend three years of your life with someone, claim to love them, and then just cut and run with no explanation. My body stiffened even more in his arms, and suddenly I couldn't stand to have him touch me. No fucking way is he just gonna apologize and think everything will go back to how it was. It doesn't work that way.

And I guess the reason I felt so bitter about it was because the bastard had decided to abandon me on our third anniversary. I had prepared a candlelit dinner, wine chilling in a bucket of ice, and soft music playing on the CD player. I knew he got off work at five, and would be home by a quarter after (Itachi was nothing if not punctual). When he still hadn't shown up by eight, I had started to get a little worried and annoyed. Maybe he'd had a meeting and was just running a bit late? By ten I was freaking out, thinking he might have gotten into a car accident since he wasn't answering his cellphone. But after calling the hospital and verifying he hadn't been admitted, then calling Sasuke and finding out he'd been at their parents' house all day instead of work, the annoyance crept back. The dinner was ruined, so I had dumped it in the garbage and gone to bed, determined that when he came home in the middle of the night as he was bound to, he would find a pillow and sheets on the couch waiting for him. But when morning came and he was nowhere to be found, I gathered my courage and called his father. Fugaku seemed almost to relish telling me how Itachi had gone off and married the daughter of a family friend before hanging up on me. To say I was stunned would be the understatement of the century. I fully expected him to at least call me and tell me what he'd done, but after a week of silence I packed my things and moved out of our apartment.

Shrugging his arms off me, I turned and glared up at him. "You never meant to hurt me," I mocked, "but you did. I might not have grown up with all the privileges you had, but I'm not stupid. So where is she?" The emotionless and stoic look on his face served to piss me off more. I could never read what he was thinking when he looked like that.

"Where is who?" he asked quietly.

Oh, he is _so _not gonna play innocent here. "You know who I mean. Your _wife_."

Itachi's brow furrowed in startled annoyance; he sighed as he stepped away from me back to the couch.

"So you know about Karin." So that was her name. Pein hadn't told me her name, just that she was the daughter of one of Itachi's father's friends (which I'd already found out from Fugaku) and he'd met her a few times. I had hounded him for all the information he could give me, but unfortunately that was all he'd tell me.

Turning from him, I focused on the rich silk material of the cushions placed on the window seat. "When you disappeared two years ago, I called your parents' house and your father answered. He told me you were engaged, and had gone to get married but wouldn't tell me where you were." I snorted. "Probably afraid I'd go after you and make a scene while you were at the altar." That's exactly what I would have done, but he didn't need to know that. "And I asked Sasuke. He told me you'd gotten married." Sasuke had confirmed what Fugaku had told me, but he had no idea where Itachi was at the time. A convenient lie.

Gathering my nerves, I faced him. I'm so tired, all I want to do is go home and crawl into bed and forget Itachi Uchiha exists. I held my hand out to him. "Just give me the key, I want to go home. I have to be at work by seven."

"Naruto, I had no choice-" I cut him off.

"We all have choices, Itachi. And you made yours. Your daddy's money and that company are more important to you than I am or will ever be."

"That's not fair, Naruto. I loved you; I still love you. But I had to marry Karin or else I was disinherited. I couldn't afford to lose the company." His tone was almost detached-sounding, yet I could hear a faint hint of what I thought was regret, but I steeled my heart against him. He tore my heart to shreds, and there was no way I was opening myself up to that again.

Drawing away from him, I sighed again. "You know, I actually can understand that. As much as I hate to admit it, I do. But you could have at least told me, hell even lied to me and said you didn't love me and wanted out of our relationship. But you did the cruelest thing you could by just leaving without a word. And I will never forgive you for that."

Itachi's eyes stayed on my face, his body still. His hands were clenched tightly by his sides, yet his face remained impassive. He gazed into my eyes, and finally after several moments he retrieved the key out of his pocket and wordlessly handed it to me. I took it from him and proceeded to walk to the door to unlock it. I glanced back at him as the door swung open; he'd not moved, simply staring after me. I turned and headed for the coat closet, intent on grabbing my jacket and calling a cab to take me home.

A movement caught my eye, and looking towards the ballroom doors I saw a pretty redheaded woman with black wire-framed glasses on her face. I instantly knew she was Itachi's wife Karin. Judging by the hateful sneer on her face directed at me, she knew who I was as well. Pein was right behind her, giving me an apologetic gaze which I ignored. I heard footsteps behind me, and knew without looking it was Itachi.

"Itachi, darling, there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you." I drowned out her simpering voice, snatching my jacket from the hanger it was on and pulling it on roughly. Itachi brushed by me, but I disregarded him and pulled my cellphone out of my pocket; I could hear her mindless chattering at Itachi as she led him back to the party. As I walked out of the house, I could feel his intense eyes still watching me, but I shut the door I'd opened, blocking all sight of him as I called for a taxi and leaned against the solid wood in exhaustion from my emotions. I knew I shouldn't have answered my phone this morning.

**Hopefully the second part should be up soon, I'm already nearly halfway done with it. I've never written Itachi/Naruto before, I hope you guys liked it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story.

**AN:** Okay, this is no longer a two-shot. I actually have a longer plot for it, and it will most likely be around four to six chapters. No lemon in this chapter, it wouldn't have flowed with the story right now.

Thank you to **Marmee Noir**, **jtwsnw20**, **Saniwa**, **Rice-Ball247**, **animelvr**, **MadMonki**, **TheOneThatIsAddictedToHPfics**, **dashllee**, **Mickytachi**, **NekcoFury**, **ImploringIdeal**, **The Caprice** **Girl**, **erisreigned**, **Miko Vampire**, and **skyglazingMaro** for your reviews. I didn't expect so many people to like this!

**Chapter 2**

I had to force myself not to slam my front door closed as I arrived home. I'm pretty sure my neighbors wouldn't have appreciated the noise. But like a five-year-old child I wanted to slam and pound the door until I felt better, even if only for a brief moment. At that second I didn't know who I was more angry at, Pein or Itachi. I mean Pein knew how I felt, the least he could have done was warn me about Itachi being there. He is so getting his ass kicked the next time I see him.

My earlier fatigue was rearing its ugly head, and I dropped onto my couch wearily with a groan, my head tilting back to stare up at the ceiling. Going to that party had been a big mistake, and I wish I'd listened to that part of my brain that had told me exactly that.

What the hell was Itachi thinking? Did he think I'd simply fall back into his arms just because he returned home? Even if I hadn't been so damned pissed off about him leaving without a word, the fact that his _wife_ was at the party while he dragged me alone into an office would have set me off.

Sighing, I sat up on my slightly worn brown couch. My apartment wasn't anything grand, just a plain two bedroom, one bath. I'd had to adjust from living in a large 3,000-square foot space to a 600-square foot apartment. Sure, it wasn't fancy or elegant like the condo Itachi and I had shared, but it was livable (and affordable). The walls were a dull cream – I'm betting that at one time they were white – and a thin beige carpet lined the floor all the way to the border of the small kitchen. The only reason I hadn't painted the apartment is because I don't own it, and the landlord would have a shitfit if I did. I'd had to buy used furniture when I moved out of the condo, and that had taken what little money I'd been able to save up apart from the rent. I had just enough room to put a couch, a pretty nice solid oak coffee table, my favorite blue recliner from home (Itachi had called it an eyesore, but no way in hell was I parting with it), and a 20-inch TV on a tiny stand.

The kitchen area was a small section at the far end of the apartment. It had an old electric stove that had seen better days, a refrigerator that wasn't much better, and maybe four feet total of counter space. A dishwasher was placed just to the left of the sink, though it didn't work worth a crap. The counters themselves were an awful shade of avocado green, the Formica material peeling at several spots, and the cabinets a hideously stained dark wood. The floor was an ugly yellow and white tile; I'm pretty sure the kitchen had been remodeled in the seventies, as the colors were all the rage back then. I had enough space to put a small round table with two chairs at the corner of the room, right in front of the large window overlooking the street down below. The only truly good thing I found in the apartment was I had a small laundry room just off the bathroom; my parents had given me a stackable washer and dryer as a gift when I moved in. I was lucky; of all the places I'd looked at, this had been the only building equipped with a washer and dryer hook-up instead of having to share a laundry room with the entire building.

My bathroom was quite small, the floor done in the same god-awful tile as the kitchen. There was no tub, only a shower stall barely big enough to fit me. The tile on the wall was a nice white, the only pleasing thing about the bathroom. The sink and toilet were off-white, and what counter there was around the sink was in a faux marble of more yellow and white.

My bedroom wasn't much better than the living room. Again the walls were that dingy cream, and the carpet not as thin. I'd bought a double-sized bed, and it took up most of the room. I had just enough room to put a chest of drawers and a night table. My closet was small, but luckily I didn't own a lot of clothes. I remember Itachi had a walk-in closet full of clothes and shoes, and I used to shake my head at the absolutely huge quantity of suits and shoes he had accumulated. Personally I couldn't fathom even wanting to own that many clothes.

The second bedroom I used for in case I had guests over, namely my parents. I had room for a futon and a dresser, and the closet was even smaller than my own.

I glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was only a little past nine o'clock. My stomach had started growling in hunger; I hadn't eaten since that morning. I dragged myself to my feet and walked to the refrigerator, reaching in to pull out a plastic container of leftover spaghetti I'd made yesterday. My fridge was getting pretty sparse; I need to go to the grocery store. I made a mental note to go after work tomorrow.

As I heated up the food in my little microwave (I had to get the smallest one they had due to lack of counter space), I couldn't help but think about the time I had with Itachi. I remember the first time I saw him. I was working at the café as a waiter, I'd only been there for about a month, when he walked in. He'd been wearing a dark blue suit that showed off his pale skin and dark hair. I'd nearly drooled when his eyes met mine. I had been out for about a year, and both my parents knew and supported me. My mother had told me as long as I was happy, she didn't care. My dad wasn't too happy at first, but like my mom he wanted me to be happy.

I'd been serving a woman her lunch platter when he sat down in my section. There was me and two other waiters, and we each had our own part of the café to work. I can remember so distinctly walking up to him and asking him what he'd like, and the way he'd appraised me as I stood there in my uniform of black pants and white button-up shirt, notepad in hand and awaiting his order.

"Just a plain black coffee, no sugar," his voice had been so deep. I recall how his eyes watched my every movement as I took orders from other patrons, almost predatorily. He'd remained in the shop for almost half an hour before asking me out. I'd blushed like a schoolgirl, stammering out an excuse for not accepting. "I'm sorry, I-I have a lot of studying to do, and I have an exam on Friday-" I would have likely kept going on, but he waved me off with a little smile before paying for his coffee and leaving. I had watched him go, feeling bewildered that he'd actually asked me out. I'd wanted to say yes, but for some reason I held myself back. Nerves maybe? But he came back the next day, and every day after for three weeks until I finally caved and said yes.

Itachi had been the first boyfriend I had, and because of that we took our relationship slow. We didn't even have sex until nearly a year after our first date (he was my first, of course), and I moved in with him a few weeks later. He'd come to my apartment that I'd been sharing with another student, and taken me to a building his family owned in the center of town. It wasn't until I was walking through the condo and answering his questions about whether or not I liked it, or if it was too far from campus, that he finally told me it was for us. I don't think I quite knew what to say at that exact moment, but seeing how earnest he was as he waited for my answer snapped me out of my daze, and with another glance around I gazed at him and smiled. I mean, he pretty much knew what my answer would be. We were moved in by the end of that week, and I have to say it was the happiest two years of my life. Too bad it had to come crashing down around me.

The beep of the microwave brought me out of my memories, and opening the appliance I pulled out my plate of spaghetti and sat at my table to eat. My cell rang just as I finished the last bite, and hurrying to grab it out of my jacket pocket I checked the caller I.D. Seeing Pein's name on the screen, I hit 'ignore' and turned the phone off, setting it on its charger. I washed and rinsed the plate, placing it in the dish drain before heading to my bedroom. I picked out a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt for bed, throwing my pants and top in the hamper next to the door as I shut the light off and slid into bed. As much as I fought it, the last thing I thought of before sleep claimed me was Itachi.

* * *

The next day went by slowly, the lunch hour being the busiest time of the day. I'd been fearing that Itachi would show up, but so far no sign of him. I was thankful; I just couldn't handle seeing him right now, if ever really. I was in the office getting ready to leave for the day when Travis, one of the new waiters, came to the door.

"Hey Naruto, there's somebody here to see you," he told me. My stomach instantly tightened into knots; please don't let it be Itachi. I thanked him and closed the office door behind me, walking slowly to the front of the café. It was a nice size, with square wood-topped iron tables and matching chairs. The entire front and side was plate-glass windows, letting in a good amount of sunlight and showing the view of the various trees and potted plants in the cobbled courtyard before the entrance. The floor was a simple white marble that the previous owner had put in. I thought it was a bit ritzy for a café, but it was beautiful when the sun shone on it and made it seem to almost glow. My breath whooshed out of me in relief when I saw not Itachi, but Sasuke and Sakura waiting for me. I'd know that head of pink hair anywhere, and Sasuke's hairdo was pretty distinct as well.

Sakura noticed me first, and a smile lit up her face. Sasuke was silent, while Sakura was waving me over to the table. Knowing how stubborn she can be, I gave in and headed over to them. Sakura smiled at me across the table from her seat next to Sasuke, while the raven nodded to me. Sasuke and I are complete opposites; I can be loud and hyper at times, and he constantly broods and barely talks. But for some reason ever since we met right after I began dating Itachi, we became good friends. And it was because of me that he met Sakura, who is now his fiancé.

Sakura and I had known each other in middle and high school; she was the sister I never had. She had been almost my protector in school from bullies who had liked to pick on me, seeing me as an easy target since I was always smaller than the other boys. She was the one girl no one wanted to piss off; her temper was well-known back then, and as several boys had found out, she had one hell of a punch. We'd both attended college together, and I'd set her up with Sasuke; the both of them had come on a double date with me and Itachi. I think the main reason Sasuke had hit it off with her so well was because she wasn't like the other girls he'd dated; she didn't care about him being an Uchiha, and she didn't fawn over him. She wasn't afraid to voice her opinion, and if need be she stood up to him. Personally I thought they were a perfect match.

"Naruto, I am so sorry; I had no idea you were going to be there last night. I would have warned you that Itachi would be there if I had," Sakura's soft voice floated across the table. Her jade green eyes were filled with concern and sadness for me.

"I know. But I couldn't avoid him forever, could I?" I tried to shrug it off, but both of them could tell I was more upset than I let on. I slapped on a fake smile, not wanting them to worry about me.

"Look, I'm alright. It was just such a shock to come face to face with him is all. I'll be fine." Neither one looked convinced, but Sakura let the subject drop.

"So what are you guys doing here?" I asked them. Not like I couldn't guess, after the fiasco last night.

"We just wanted to tell you that Itachi is getting divorced." Surprisingly it was Sasuke who spoke. My heart skipped a beat when I heard what he said, but I chased the feeling away as a frown quickly appeared on my face. "How do you know that?" Not like it really changed things; I meant what I said to Itachi last night.

It was Sakura who spoke up. "After you left last night, Itachi was there for maybe five minutes before he left also. I stayed over at Sasuke's last night – he lives in the apartment next to Itachi's – and we could hear them fighting nearly all night long. When we got up this morning, her stuff was in the hallway, and she was ranting and yelling about not granting him a divorce."

I sat back in shock. I honestly didn't know what to say. My mind was still digesting all the information I'd just learned when Sasuke spoke again. "They never slept together, Naruto."

My head jerked up. My mouth hung open, and I scrambled for something to say. "What?"

Sasuke nodded. "Itachi told me. My father doesn't know, but Itachi hasn't touched her. Their marriage isn't real. Itachi keeps up appearances in public, but they have separate bedrooms, which Karin isn't too happy about." Stunned, I just gazed at Sasuke. What he said next floored me completely.

"Itachi married Karin for me. My father was leaving the business to him, but Itachi could care less about it. He'd tried to convince my father to hand it over to me, but my father refused. The stipulation for Itachi becoming head of the company was he had to be married. He'd been groomed his whole life to inherit and continue the family line and take over the reins of the company, when it's not what he wants. He knows I love the company, and I was being overlooked by my father. So he decided to marry Karin and become CEO of Uchiha Corp., then as soon as my father retired he'd hand the company over to me and leave Karin. I had no idea what he was planning two years ago, or I would have stopped him. So it's my fault he left you."

I shook my head. I knew Sasuke had always been basically ignored by Fugaku, Itachi being the 'golden child'. Itachi had thought it unfair how his little brother was treated by their parents simply because he was born second. I sighed. "No, it's not your fault, Sasuke. But as much as I can understand his reasons, he still could have told me he was leaving." I closed my eyes briefly; I could feel a headache coming on. "So why now? If he leaves Karin now then you'll lose the company."

Sasuke took a sip of his water; he and Sakura never did order anything. He met my stare straight on. "My father announced his retirement last month; his health has been in a bit of a decline the last few years, and Itachi had been pressuring him to sell all his stock of the company to him, which he did when he retired. That's why Itachi came back. He stayed away because he knew if he came back here he wouldn't be able to stay away from you. He just now has finished up the legal procedures to insure my father can't take the company from me when he finds out Itachi is letting me have it; that's why he waited so long before ending his marriage to Karin."

Well shit. I didn't know what to say to that. I remember seeing a headline in one of the local papers showing a picture of Fugaku, but I'd had no idea what it said as I'd not bothered to pick it up. Seeing the name Uchiha had brought too many bittersweet memories.

"He still loves you, Naruto. He told Sasuke that he wants to be with you again." Sakura gazed at me, waiting for my reaction, but I was about to disappoint both her and Sasuke.

"This doesn't change anything. I can understand his reasoning, but the fact is he left me. No note, no phone call, nothing. I can't just overlook that because he's leaving his wife, or that he only married her to help you." Sasuke opened his mouth to argue, but I forestalled him with a palm raised.

"I know he's your brother, and you want to see him happy, but what about me? What happens next time there's another family crisis and I'm put on the backburner again? I can't go through this again. I'm sorry." I pushed my chair back and rose, avoiding their faces as I gathered up my keys and strode hurriedly out of the café. Sakura called out for me to wait, but I quickened my pace and headed for my apartment. I would just go grocery shopping later; all I wanted now was to get home. Why did it seem like my life just got more complicated?

**~TBC~**

_**Horrible as it sounds, the description of the kitchen and bathroom colors was based off my last apartment. Even the refrigerator was that god-awful green!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story.

**AN: **Didn't mean to get too descriptive with Naruto's apartment, I once had a reviewer tell me I needed to describe my surroundings more. But yes, it was based off my last apartment, hideous as it sounds (the green was a really horrible color, especially the refrigerator).

Big thank you to **MomoSenpei8907**, **The Caprice Girl**, **sasa**, **Felnore**, **Rice-Ball247**, **InzanityRulz**, **jtwsnw20**, **Mickytachi**, **16Echos**, **chibisrule943**, **hanakisa**, **demon'sLOver**, **That's Nice**, **dashllee**, **skyglazingMaro**, **Miko Vampire**, **sousie**, **MadMonki**, and **DragonDame57** for all your reviews, and to everyone who favorited and alerted my story. I'm glad you guys like this story, your comments mean a lot to me! **;D **

**I know it's short, but I've put in Itachi's POV to get a perspective on his thoughts; he's a bit OOC.**

**Chapter 3**

_**~Itachi's POV~**_

I leaned back in my desk chair, the report on the company's newest acquisition one big blurry mess. Rubbing the bridge of my nose – I could feel a major headache coming on – I laid the report down on my desk and stood up, walking to the large window to my left. I'll be glad when Sasuke takes over next week; any more of this and I feel like I'll abandon all decorum befitting an Uchiha and scream. Why the hell my baby brother wanted this job I'll never understand.

As I looked down on the streets below, my thoughts as usual ran to Naruto. I hadn't made any attempt to see him for the past week, wanting to get all my affairs in order before trying to fix our relationship, i.e. getting a divorce. I knew I made a mistake in not telling him my plans two years ago, but I knew if I did he'd talk me out of it. One look into his beautiful blue eyes and I would have caved. I think if I'd known it would take two years and not the few months I'd originally calculated, I probably would have changed my mind. But how could I have known my father would hold out on signing over the company to me for so long? He'd been on the verge of it when I'd first married Karin, but he'd drawn the process out like he knew the second I had the company I would leave the bitch.

And to make matters worse, I never got the chance to explain my side to Naruto. Sasuke, for all his good intentions, had decided to tell him everything before I could. Well, you know the saying: the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and I certainly feel like I'm in hell. I can only imagine what Naruto must be thinking. To learn that I was gone, that I'd gotten married, then that I was back in town, all by someone else instead of the one person who should have told him: Me. God, I'd really fucked up. Absolutely nothing had turned out the way I'd planned. And I was reputed to be a genius. Insert sarcasm here.

Suddenly the intercom buzzed. _"Mr. Uchiha?"_ my secretary's voice came over the line. _"Your brother is here to see you, sir." _Well, speak of the devil. I walked back to the desk and picked up the phone. "Let him in," I told her. I made a note to recommend her to Sasuke; she was efficient, and she didn't ask questions.

A few seconds later Sasuke strolled into the office. We nodded to each other before he sat down on the black leather chair nearest the desk. I couldn't really make myself call it my desk; I'd never wanted it, and as far as I was concerned it was now Sasuke's.

I remained standing behind the desk, my arms crossed negligently over my chest. "So what brings you here, little brother?" My voice was flat, my emotions hidden from him. He knew I was upset with him for going to Naruto before I'd had a chance to.

Sasuke inclined his head towards me. "Itachi, I just wanted to let you know I only went to Naruto to try to help you. I wasn't trying to cause trouble for you." He'd already apologized to me twice, I think he was worried that I was still angry.

"I understand, Sasuke. But it would have been better coming from me. I know you and Sakura wanted to help, but in jumping the gun so to speak I fear the situation has been made worse." I tried to be gentle with him; when I'd first found out what he and his fiancé had done, I'd felt like beating the shit out of him. But what's done is done, and I can't change any of it. I can only hope that Naruto will give me another chance to explain, and perhaps one day forgive me. The night of the party had been pretty disastrous, none of our meeting again going as I'd hoped.

Sighing, I sat down in the chair and faced Sasuke. "I'm not angry with you. I really screwed up; I shouldn't have just left him. I think if I'd taken the time to let him know what my plans were, we could have salvaged our relationship. But I hurt him. The worst part is he most likely would have forgiven me if I'd just told him two years ago."

Sasuke leaned forward a bit. "Why didn't you leave him a letter? I can actually understand why he feels so bitter; if Sakura left me like that I don't think I could forgive her either."

"Honestly? I was a coward. And I really didn't think it would take so long for Father to sign over everything to me. He was ready to hand it over to me when I married Karin, then suddenly he dragged out the legal procedures. Said he needed to finalize certain aspects of the deal before signing. I figured I'd be CEO within a month, two at the most, then it would only take another month to have everything signed over to you and I'd be able to be with Naruto. But the wily old bastard seemed to know what I was doing and stalled me."

I saw Sasuke's head shake in agreement. My father has always controlled my life. He'd always wanted me to marry Karin; she was the daughter of his old school buddy. Frankly the woman makes me sick; I used to dread when she and her father would come over for dinner. All she'd done was flirt and followed me around, her pathetic overtures being completely ignored seeming to have had no effect on her advances. And it certainly didn't help when both of our parents encouraged her, if her frequent visits had been anything to judge by. Being married to her has been the worst experience of my life.

My stomach rebelled at the memories of Karin trying to get me into bed with her. Not because she was in love with me, but to get pregnant. If she bore the Uchiha heir, I'd be stuck with her forever and she'd get exactly what she wants: access to the Uchiha fortune. Her screams and curses when I threw her out last week still echoed in my head. I'd gotten a letter from her divorce attorney yesterday; her demands are absolutely ridiculous. She's petitioning for $100 million dollars, and $10,000 a month in alimony. I'm tempted to give it to her just to get her to sign the divorce papers. But I'm sure after her lawyer sees the photos I've acquired of her with at least three of her lovers – the ones that I know of while we've been married – she'll retract her petition. I mentally snorted. She certainly set her aim high for a loveless marriage, though I was surprised she didn't try to wheedle more money in the divorce; my family's worth _is_ in the billions.

I needed to get out of here; all I wanted was to see Naruto again. "I'm going to leave for the day," I told Sasuke, grabbing my coat from the small closet next to the door. I really didn't want to be here anymore, just looking at this place was giving me a sour taste in my mouth. Sasuke looked like he understood, nodding to me as I exited the office.

As I walked out of the building, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. Just being in the Uchiha building seemed to suck all the energy out of me. I had no regrets giving it away; it was a responsibility I'd never wanted in the first place. I thought I could outwit my father and ultimately lost the most precious thing to me. But I was determined to get my blonde back. I am an Uchiha after all.

I found myself strolling down a familiar street. Looking ahead, I spied the café where I'd first met Naruto. I knew he still worked there; Pein had kept me abreast of everything that had been happening while I was away. If Naruto found out that I had gotten monthly reports of his doings from Pein, he'd blow a fuse. But it had been those updates that had fueled my drive to speed up the takeover.

I ended up standing next to the window of the café. At the sight of a bright head of blonde hair, I stopped and stared, transfixed. There he stood, amidst a room of customers; he was gorgeous, his smile making my heart clench as he talked with a young brunette woman. It looked like he was leaving as he pulled on a coat; checking my watch, I saw it was just after four p.m. He didn't seem to notice me as he began walking in the opposite direction I was in. I decided to follow him, hoping that maybe he'd give me a chance to talk.

I trailed him to an older apartment building a few blocks away. I waited for several minutes after he'd gone inside before slowly approaching the entrance and reading over the names on the mailboxes. I found his quickly, and noting the apartment number I steeled myself and made straight for the stairs.

* * *

_**~Naruto's POV~**_

Climbing the stairs to my apartment, I wished for probably the thousandth time that my building had an elevator as my feet felt like they were going to fall off. If I didn't need these damned shoes for work I'd throw them out the window; it was always a bitch to break in new shoes. Oh well, at least I lived on the third floor; not too much of a climb. I took my keys out as I walked down the hallway to my door.

I stepped into my apartment, slipping my shoes off and plopping down on the couch. This day had been long, seemingly endless. I think what made it worse was the anxiety that ate at me, wondering if this is the day Itachi would show up.

Lying motionless for several moments, I groaned and sat up. I really needed a shower, so I stood and headed into my bedroom for a set of clean clothes. Just as I was about to step into the bathroom, someone knocked on my front door. Damn it!

Grumbling, I put my clothes on the bathroom sink and walked to the door. I would just get rid of them, whoever it was, fast. I undid the chain and turned the deadbolt, intending to shoo the person or persons at the door away. I opened the door wide, then froze in my tracks when I looked up into a pair of midnight eyes.

Itachi Uchiha stared down at me.

**~TBC~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story.

**AN:** Sorry for the wait, this chapter was a bit harder to get out than the others. I hope you guys like it!

Thanks to **Mickytachi**, **ImploringIdeal**, s**kyglazingMaro**, **demon'sLOver**, **hanakisa**, **The** **Caprice Girl**, **MomoSenpei8907**, **Rice-Ball247**, **sasa**, **makoed**, **jtwsnw20**, **EvilPopcorn**, **xXxCrAzY4VaMpIrEsxXx**, **MadMonki**, **mixmixchocolate93**, and **Yumi-nachan **(aww, thank you Yumi! And I'm looking forward to the next chapter of your story too) for your reviews.

**Chapter 4**

I gaped up at Itachi. He was the last person I expected to see at the door; hell, I didn't even think he knew where I lived! We stared at each other for what felt like hours, but in reality was only seconds.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" his deep voice washed over me and snapped me out of my stupor. Strangely enough I could detect no teasing note in his tone, unlike last time. Blinking, I mindlessly moved aside and allowed him to step through the doorway; the idea of just slamming the door in his face unfortunately didn't occur to me until he was inside my apartment. Crap.

Seeing Itachi in my apartment was almost surreal. But that feeling was quickly ebbing away as I noticed his scrutiny of my home. Sure, compared to his parents' mansion and the luxurious condo we'd once shared (and I will admit I was a bit self-conscious at first living there) my apartment must seem like a hovel, but I paid for it with my own money that I earned, not with paychecks signed for being in a high-paying position gift-wrapped by daddy.

"What do you want, Itachi?" I asked, my hackles raised by his presence. What the hell was I thinking letting him in here? I shouldn't have frozen and just slammed the damned door in his face.

He turned to face me. Despite myself, I could see he was tired, and my first instinct was to comfort him, which I tamped down hard. He gave me a small smile, but remained where he was, instead opting to sit on my couch. The disdain at his surroundings that I was fully prepared to see was surprisingly absent.

"I just wanted to see you, Naruto," he spoke softly. "I meant to explain everything to you, it wasn't right that you had to learn of Karin from someone else. Sasuke meant well, as did Pein and Sakura, but the truth is I should have been the one to tell you." He paused, his eyes searching mine as he continued.

"And I should have told you my intentions two years ago. I wasn't lying when I told you I still love you. I do. But I knew if I told you what I was planning to do, then you'd have talked me out of it, and I would have let you. Either way I went I knew I would end up hurting someone I love: you or my brother. It doesn't mean I love you less, but I couldn't let my father do that to Sasuke. And I honestly never thought it would take two years for me to gain control of the company."

I stood silently. I knew he loved his brother, but I couldn't help feeling bitter that he had ended our relationship because he wanted to help Sasuke. "I don't know what you want me to say, Itachi. I told you how I felt, and that hasn't changed." If I said it enough, then maybe I'd believe it myself.

He gazed at me, rising to his feet to face me fully. "I'm hoping that maybe in time you'll find it in your heart to forgive me. And I'm not giving up on us, even if it takes years to win you back." His ebony eyes hardened with sudden determination. Stupid Uchihas! Look up stubborn in the dictionary, and you'll find pictures of both Itachi and Sasuke there.

"Then you're gonna be waiting a long time. I don't _trust_ you anymore, Itachi. Not after the way you left me. Damn it, you got married! How can I be sure you wouldn't do something like that again? Just cast me aside in another crisis?" My voice had steadily risen with each word, my anger coming to the fore. Why did he have to come here and pull this shit?

"It won't happen again, that I can promise you. Sasuke has the company; it's simply a formality right now that he doesn't assume control until Monday. And I've let my father know of my divorce. So there's nothing and no one to worry about again."

I snorted. "Your divorce, huh? I bet that went over well with Fugaku."

Itachi actually broke out into a half-smirk, half-smile. "Let's just say Karin isn't the only one who can scream and curse."

My lips quirked up, though I tried to fight it. I couldn't help it; the thought of old man Uchiha screaming like a fishwife was funny. But I sobered quickly. His divorce changed nothing. I couldn't let it.

I stepped away from Itachi. "Doesn't matter if you're divorced. I won't let you or anyone else hurt me like that again."

Sighing, Itachi bent down and retrieved his coat, which he'd hung over the arm of the couch. He slid it on, then turned and began walking slowly towards me. I backed up, my body hitting the wall behind me after only a few steps. He braced his arms on either side of me, cornering me like a wild animal. His face lowered until we were mere inches apart. His dark eyes bore into mine.

"I'm not giving up, Naruto. I'll do whatever it takes to get your trust back. To get _you_ back." His breath ghosted over my lips, the scent of mint and his oh-so-familiar aftershave wafting over me. As the nostalgic scents hit me, his mouth closed over mine. I couldn't move; I whimpered as my mouth automatically moved with his, unconsciously seeking more contact as my eyes drifted closed. My hands reached up and clung to his upper arms, my fingers digging into the hard muscle as every thought in my head vanished. God, it's been so long since I'd last known his taste. And it was just as good as I remembered.

Our kiss lasted for mere seconds, Itachi moving back all too soon. I opened my eyes and stared up at him in a daze, my lips tingling with aftershocks. So much for my resolve to keep him at a distance! All I wanted was to drag his head back down and resume our embrace, but I shook it off and stayed where I was as he walked to the door and opened it.

"I'll see you around, Naruto," he said and left. I remained where I was for several moments before my knees buckled and I slid down the wall. This is gonna be harder than I thought.

* * *

I was just getting ready for my lunch break the next day when I looked up and noticed Pein come into the café. I was no longer angry with him over the party, which is why he felt it was safe to approach me. His carefree grin was plastered on his face as he waved.

"Hey Naruto! Got a minute?"

I nodded. "I was just about to go on my break. What's up?" I was a bit distracted today; all I could think about was that kiss yesterday.

"Nothing really. Just wanted to say hi and see how you were doing. We haven't talked for over a week now."

Hard to believe it's been eight days. Time flies when your life is a mess, huh? I led him to a vacant table and sat across from him. "So what's going on?" I asked. Luckily the café wasn't too busy today, so I didn't have to strain my ears to hear him.

Pein's brown eyes regarded me thoughtfully. "Have you seen Itachi?"

"Pein…" I sighed. "Look, don't start, ok? I'm tired of everyone butting in on my love life."

"Don't you mean lack of one?" Pein retorted.

Ouch. He's lucky he's in a room of people and I have to play nice so as not to risk losing my job, or else he'd have his face imprinted on the nice china plate in front of him. I think he got the message if the heat of my glare was any indication. But he continued.

"What is it with you two? Damn, you're just as stubborn as Itachi! You're both miserable, but you won't let yourself forgive him because you're afraid of being hurt. St-"

"Pein." My head jerked up in recognition of that cold tone. Itachi stood right behind Pein, glowering down at the redhead. His presence stopped the angry words about to leave my mouth, and I noted with some pleasure that it shut Pein up too.

"I appreciate you trying to help me, but I can speak for myself, thank you. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Naruto alone," Itachi said, no emotion in his voice. Pein nodded, threw a smug smile at me like he'd planned the whole thing (which, knowing him, he probably did), and sauntered out of the café. I was left sitting with Itachi.

My mind scrambled for an excuse to leave the table. But before I could say a word, Itachi beat me to it. "I am sorry about that; I had no idea he would come here."

I shrugged, it didn't matter anymore. "Um, I have to get back to work," I lied; my break wasn't over for another twenty minutes, but he didn't need to know that. He smirked like he knew I was lying, and leaned back in his chair with an appraising look.

"Very well then. I would like a plain black coffee, no sugar," he ordered. A sense of déjà vu swept over me; wait, that was the exact thing he ordered the first time I met him! I narrowed my eyes at him. "What are you playing at?" I hissed.

Itachi's eyes flicked over me before meeting my own blue. "Nothing. Can't a customer order a beverage?"

I gritted my teeth, turning about and almost stomping to the coffee machines behind the counter. When I had the coffee poured into a small white mug, I passed it off to Travis to serve it to him. No way was I going back to that table.

Itachi stayed in the café for another ten or so minutes, then paid for his drink and came up to the register where I stood.

"Naruto," I gave him an exasperated glance, "would you go out to dinner with me Friday?"

My eyes felt like they would bug out of my head. "W-what?" I couldn't have heard right. He smirked and repeated his question. "Would you like to go out with me on Friday?"

I shook my head. "No," I said in a low voice. What the hell?!

Itachi gave me his little trademark smirk and inclined his head at me, then walked out the door. I stared at his back, a mix of bemusement and irritation inside me.

He came back the next day. And the next. For two weeks solid he showed up every day that I was on schedule, usually during the lunch hour. And every day he asked me the same question.

I knew exactly what he was doing. He was re-enacting our first meeting, and when he came every day for those three weeks and asked me out every day. I have to admit it was harder this time around, knowing what I did and having been in a relationship with him. I told Sakura about it, and she just cooed that it sounded romantic. Traitor.

Today was Thursday, and like clockwork there he is. He came in and sat at the table closest to me, his eyes keeping sight of me as I stood behind the counter and greeted customers, letting the new girl Holly serve him. He stayed for about forty-five minutes, then got up to pay for his meal. As he stared down at me, he again asked me to go out on Friday.

Looking up at him, I sighed in annoyance and snapped, "You're gonna keep coming in here every day and keep asking me out, aren't you?"

His lips twitched. "At least until you say yes. I told you I'm not giving up, Naruto."

Throwing my hands up in the air, I gave in. "Fine! If it'll make you stop this, I'll go out with you tomorrow night. But only one night, then you leave me alone after, okay?"

A true smile graced his features. "Very well. I'll pick you up at seven." He headed for the door, then turned back to me. "Oh, and dress nicely," he said. I waved him away, letting one of the waitresses take over at the register and going into the office. I sat down heavily at the desk, laying my head in my hands. The shock of what just happened washed over me. What the hell did I just do?

* * *

That Friday night, as I searched through my small closet for something appropriate to wear, I felt like tearing my hair out. Why did I agree to this again? Oh yeah, 'cause Itachi is a manipulative bastard who just has to get his way ALL the time.

"Oh stop your whining, it can't be that bad," Sakura's voice broke through my silent ranting. I scowled at her, earning a raised brow and a smug smile. Sasuke wasn't much help either, just sitting on the edge of my bed with a bored expression on his face. I swear, all Uchihas must have been bred to perfect such looks. Stoic assholes.

"I'm not whining! And since when have _you_ been all gung ho for me and Itachi to get back together? If I remember right, wasn't it you who said if he came back you'd tear his head off and use it for a basketball?" Not a very appealing mental picture, but at the time she'd seemed more pissed off than I'd been.

Sakura had the decency to blush. "Well, maybe I see that you two are meant to be together. And he _is_ going to be my brother-in-law."

I snorted. "Yeah, god forbid you have to kick your husband's brother's ass," I mumbled low, snickering at the idea of Sakura beating the crap out of Itachi. Well, I thought it was funny.

With a cry of triumph, Sakura pulled out a pair of dark gray dress slacks my mother had bought me a few years ago from the back of the closet, and laid them down on the bed beside the white button-up shirt she'd found. I'd forgotten all about the pants; damn, there goes my whole 'nothing to wear' excuse.

She gazed at me expectantly, and with a sigh I gave in. "Fine, fine, I'll go. Now get out so I can get dressed." She and Sasuke left the room, leaving me to change. I'd already had a shower, and all I had left to do was try to brush my hair into some semblance of order, slip on my shoes and I'm ready to go. I looked at the clock; it was nearly six-thirty, Itachi would be here soon.

Once dressed, I carried the black loafers that I would be wearing to the living room and set them down next to the couch. Sakura and Sasuke were seated on said couch, Sasuke's arm wrapped around Sakura's waist. A part of me couldn't help envying them.

We were all quiet as the minutes ticked by; just as I slipped my shoes on there was a knock at the door. Sakura gave me a thumb's up, which I ignored, as I stood to open the door. My hand shook a little as I turned the knob, my stomach in knots from nervousness.

And there he was, standing at the door in a casual attire of navy sweater and dark pants. Very seldom had I seen him in other than his designer suits, and I'd almost forgotten how good he looked in regular clothes. Itachi looked me up and down before meeting my eyes and smiling. I grabbed my wallet and keys, nerves back in full force as Sakura and Sasuke filed out behind me into the hallway, and I locked the door before we all headed for the stairs.

Stepping out of the building, Sakura waved to me as she and Sasuke walked to his car parked around the corner. I stood nervously on the sidewalk as Itachi moved around to open the passenger door of a sleek black BMW E60 sedan. He always did have expensive taste in his cars. He held the door open for me, and I sank down onto soft leather seats. This one is a bit newer than the one he'd had when we'd lived together. He slid into the driver's seat and started the engine; it was so quiet that I couldn't tell the car was even on.

Pulling out into traffic, he headed for the downtown area. "So, uh, where are we going?" I asked. I needed to break the silence.

"You'll see," was all he said. We drove for about fifteen minutes before he pulled into the parking lot of a small restaurant. I didn't catch the name of it, but it was a nice building. Not really classy, but elegant in an understated way. Once again, Itachi came and opened my door for me, hitting the alarm button on his keychain as we walked inside.

The inside of the restaurant was very nice. Dark red curtains hung at the windows, blocking out views from outside and creating a cozy atmosphere. A dark gold Berber carpet lined the floor, and sectioned booths gave the place a private feel.

A pretty young dark-haired woman greeted us as we walked in, and we followed her to a secluded booth at the back of the restaurant that was almost like another room. She sent a waiter to our table and headed back to the front as we sat awkwardly across from each other. Two glasses of water, two empty wine glasses, silverware and napkins were already laid out on the table. "I had this table reserved for us tonight," he told me at my inquiring look. Our waiter hurried to the table with a bottle of red wine and two menus, and Itachi looked over the wine's label approvingly before nodding to him.

As the waiter poured wine in our glasses, I stared at Itachi. He took the menus and set them down as the waiter walked away, then gazed back at me.

"What's with the wine?" I asked. He knew I normally didn't drink; when we used to go out I'd always order soda or water.

"I thought we could share a celebratory drink."

My brow arched. "And what are we celebrating?" My curiosity was peaked; his mood was just a little too jovial.

"Well, as of three-eighteen this afternoon, I'm officially a free man," he took a sip, eyeing me over the rim of his wineglass.

"Oh?" I tasted the wine, and a grimace fell on my face for a moment. Itachi chuckled at my expression. I set the glass down, and reached for the plain glass of water to wash the horrible taste out of my mouth. "Karin just agreed to the divorce, no problem?" Shoot me, I was curious.

"Hn," and there was that damn grunt I'd always hated. Why couldn't he just say 'yes' like normal people?! "Well, she was petitioning for $100 million, and $10,000 a month in alimony," I nearly spit out my mouthful of water at that, "but after my lawyer showed some, shall we say, incriminating pictures, she settled for $5 million, which in my opinion is more than fair. So once again I'm a single man." He leaned back in his chair, his ebony eyes studying me for my reaction.

What could I say? Yes, a part of me was elated that he was divorced, while the rational part of my brain was telling me it didn't matter. I looked down, searching for something to say.

"Naruto?" I glanced up. He was watching me closely, trying to gauge my response.

"What am I supposed to say, Itachi? Am I supposed to be happy that you finally divorced the woman you left me for? What do you want from me?" I felt tears threatening to spill over. Damn it, I told myself I wouldn't cry over him again.

He looked a bit taken aback. "I want another chance. I know I screwed up, and I can't change that. But if we could start over, I promise nothing like that would ever happen again."

I had to ask myself: can I trust him? Do I want to trust him? Honestly, I wasn't sure. All I know is that I miss him, and it's been awful these last two years without him. He waited patiently for my answer as I played with the edge of the tablecloth.

"And your father?" I had to know. I couldn't possible even consider being with Itachi again if I had to constantly worry about what his father might do or how he may act.

Itachi met my gaze. "He knows that I gave the company to Sasuke, but by the time he found out it was too late. We had a little talk about everything, and I told him I was going to try to get you back. He wasn't happy at all about that, my divorce or my little business coup; needless to say I'm not very welcome in his home right now."

And that is exactly what I didn't want to happen; I never wanted to be the reason he was isolated from his family. Itachi seemed to pick up on my thoughts.

"It's not your fault, Naruto. My whole life I've had my father's ideals crammed down my throat, what he believed I should do and who I should be drilled into me. We haven't been father and son for years, and he was never a father to Sasuke. I'm doing what _I_ want to do, be with who I want to be with. And that's you."

I mulled over his words. He had steadily broken down my defenses the last few weeks with his… well, I guess you could call it courtship. No, he hadn't left flowers at my door or anything corny like that (I'm not a woman, I don't do flowers), but the way he'd pursued me, just like from five years ago, was kinda sweet.

If I was honest with myself, then yes, like Pein had said, these last two years had been miserable. And maybe I am too naïve sometimes, but when I'd found out why Itachi had done what he'd done, it _had_ changed things for me. Of course the anger and hurt was still there, they would probably be there to a certain degree for a long time, but I understood why he did it. If he'd gotten married because he'd been cheating on me or gotten bored, then I wouldn't have even considered taking him back. And finding out he hadn't even had sex with his wife had been a major shock on my part.

"I want to take things slow for now. I'm still not entirely sure if I should forgive you," I finally told him. "I just – I just need time to sort through everything. You really hurt me, Itachi."

He nodded, his shoulders sagging a bit in what seemed almost like relief. I think he'd been expecting the worst. "That's fine. Take all the time you need. All I ask for is a chance to prove to you that I'll never hurt you like that again."

Looking into his dark eyes, I read the sincerity in them. But I wouldn't rush this; my feelings, much as I'd denied them to myself, were still strong for Itachi, but I don't want to jump into a relationship with him again right off the bat.

We talked for about an hour at the restaurant, and I agreed to have dinner with him again next Friday. He dropped me off in front of my building, walking me to the entrance. He bent down and lightly brushed his lips over mine, the contact lasting only a few seconds before he whispered, "Goodnight," then he was striding back to his car and waving as he drove off. I slowly headed upstairs, and as I got into bed half an hour later I had no trouble falling asleep.

**~TBC~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story.

**AN:** I'm really sorry for the wait, this chapter was a lot harder to get out than I thought.

Thanks to **Rice-Ball247**, **Iincho, Miko Vampire**, **ruto89**, **The Caprice Girl 92**, **jtwsnw20**, **xXxCrAzY4VaMpIrEsxXx**, **demon'sLOver**, **mixmixchocolate93**, **sasa**, **skyglazingMaro**, and **Yumi-nachan** for your reviews. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

**Chapter 5**

I looked up from setting up the front register at the café; Itachi gave me a small smile as he strode slowly to his 'usual' table. I glanced at my watch and saw it was only a quarter past seven. He certainly is early today; normally he shows up around lunchtime, yet here he is only moments after I'd unlocked the door and flipped the 'Open' sign. He'd been here nearly every day that I worked, and I'd come to enjoy my time with him. We'd also been going out a lot, two or three nights a week. He claims he has too much free time on his hands now that he isn't running his family's company, but I can tell he's happier being away from it.

"Here, I'll let you finish this," I told Travis, who had the morning shift with me. He nodded, and I walked over to Itachi. He was dressed casually in a pair of black dress slacks and a burgundy top. Damn, but he looked good. I sat down opposite him, one eyebrow raised. "So what brings you here so early?"

Those fathomless black eyes regarded me intensely. He was always so serious-looking. He leaned back in the chair, his pale hands clasped in front of him.

"I was wondering if you'd gotten an invitation for Sasuke and Sakura's engagement party yet."

I nodded. I'd actually gotten it yesterday; it was for this Saturday afternoon at two. "Yeah, I got one. Why?"

"Well, I was hoping you would consider being my date for the party," he said. I'd wondered if he would ask me to accompany him.

I smiled. "Sure," I said, noting his body relaxed a little after my answer.

Itachi gave me his trademark smirk, then stood and moved closer to me. His hand reached up and brushed my bangs back, his face looming over me and giving me a light kiss on the mouth before he pulled back. "I'll see you Saturday," he murmured, turning and leaving the café. My face was hot, and I could hear Travis laughing at the expression on my face.

"What?" I asked haughtily, standing and heading towards the office. I sat at the desk, fanning myself. Even though it was just a brush of lips, any contact with Itachi always left me so flustered. A small smile escaped my lips as I looked forward to Saturday; only four days away. It would also give me time to buy some nice clothes for the party too.

I was just finishing trying to brush my hair into some semblance of order when I heard the knock on my front door. I'd gone shopping for a new outfit yesterday, and luckily had found a nice pair of navy pants and a royal blue button-up shirt. I bought a navy jacket to complete the outfit, and as I went to open the door I grabbed the jacket from the closet. My black loafers were beside the door, and I slid them on my feet.

Itachi ran his eyes appreciatively over me as I let him in. He was in one of his suits, a medium gray color, that looked really good on him. But then, I don't think I've ever seen him wear something that _didn't_ look good on him.

"Are you ready?" he asked me.

"Yeah, just let me lock up and we can go." I picked up my keys and followed him to the hallway, locking the door and shoving the keys in my pocket. He walked close to me as we went downstairs to the lobby, and as we got to his car parked at the curb, he opened the door for me and ushered me inside.

We made idle chitchat on the drive; it would take about forty-five minutes to get to his parents' mansion, which was on the outskirts of the city in a very nice neighborhood. I'd only been there once, at one of the few parties that Itachi's parents held. Sasuke had asked his mother if they could hold the party there, and Mikoto had set up the huge sunroom for it. There wouldn't be a lot of people there, only about fifteen or twenty, so the room was more than large enough. I was nervous about going to Itachi's parents' home. I knew Fugaku was angry with Itachi for his divorce and giving the company away to Sasuke, and I'd found out from Sakura that Karin had been invited by Fugaku. Can you say awkward?

As we pulled up into the circular driveway, it felt like a horde of butterflies was fluttering in my stomach. I stepped out of the car and took a deep breath to calm myself; Itachi came up alongside me and grasped my hand in his, offering support. My smile was a bit shaky as I let him escort me in the house.

I entered into a large foyer done in cream and pastel yellow, a curved staircase to my left. A small chandelier hung above our heads, and a cream-colored porcelain vase with peach roses sat on a small cherry wood side table by the stairs, giving a bit of color in the bland entryway. The sunroom was just off the foyer, and I could hear voices echoing through the hall. I walked in the room, and Sakura spotted me and immediately ran over.

"Naruto! I'm so glad you made it," she told me. She gave me a big hug, grinning at me in happiness. She was dressed in a knee-length emerald green sundress that matched her eyes perfectly. Her white sandals clicked on the hardwood floor as she walked. Sasuke was seated on a loveseat, and Sakura sat back down beside him; he slid an arm around her waist, holding her close as she leaned into him.

The room was almost blindingly bright; large bay windows ran across the right side of the room, and gauzy white curtains hung from the top of them. The walls were that same cream color as the foyer, and a light maple hardwood floor reflected the light. The couch and loveseat were white, as well as a few chairs gathered around them. White built-in bookcases rested next to a large entertainment center, and a small coffee table with a glass top was placed in front of the larger couch.

I gazed around the room; there were quite a few people I didn't recognize. Pein was on the other side of the room with Konan (I'd know that blue hair anywhere), and I saw Neji Hyuuga and his cousin Hinata. Hinata was a friend of Sakura's, whom she'd met through Sasuke. Neji, Hinata's cousin, was the nephew of Hiashi Hyuuga, who ran the shipping company that Uchiha Corp. used for their distribution. He and Sasuke had been friends since elementary school, both from prominent families and having a lot in common, mainly being cold, anti-social pricks. Granted, Neji wasn't as unsociable as Sasuke typically was, but he didn't have that air of friendliness either.

A flash of purple caught my eye, and I froze as I locked eyes with Karin. She was in the doorway to the dining room, a dark look on her face as she stared at me, her eyes sharp behind her glasses; the purple I'd seen was her violet dress. She glared at me as Itachi wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I noticed Fugaku was next to her, his unfriendly gaze also on me. Itachi must have felt how stiff I'd gotten, because he looked over at where I was staring and swore under his breath.

"What the fuck is she doing here?" he muttered angrily. I stayed quiet, not knowing how to answer. "Wait here, I'll be right back," he strode angrily to his father, the both of them leaving the room and disappearing down a hallway. Karin gave me a nasty smirk before following the two men, and I stood there undecided on what to do. Should I follow Itachi?

I turned to see Sasuke staring after where Itachi and Fugaku had gone, a frown on his face. His dark eyes shifted to me, a silent question in them. I nodded, then headed down the hall. I passed several closed doors before stopping at the end of the hallway; I could hear Itachi's voice, raised in anger, along with a woman's voice and Fugaku's. I listened at the door, not caring if it was rude.

"You dare to show your face in my home after what you did?! And you brought that… that _boy_ with you? You shame the Uchiha name!" My hands clenched into fists, fury rising in me at the way Fugaku talked to Itachi.

"He's not a _boy_, he's a man, and he has a name: Naruto," Itachi calmly answered. "As for shaming the Uchiha name, I've done nothing to besmirch our family. If anyone has shamed this family, it's you, Father."

I could hear Fugaku splutter in rage. "You ungrateful, insolent brat! I gave you everything you wanted, handed you one of the top pharmaceutical companies in the world, and you throw it in my face and just give it away! You had a promising career, a beautiful and loving wife, and you destroy it for some no-name blonde whore." I gasped at the insult, nearly opening the door and confronting the old man on it, but Itachi beat me to it.

"You will never call Naruto that again," I heard the fierce growl in Itachi's voice. "He is not a whore, and as for a 'beautiful and loving wife', what kind of delusional world are you living in? Karin was interested in me for the Uchiha money, nothing else. If you want to call anyone a whore, then I would suggest you look at your esteemed ex-daughter-in-law. I never wanted to marry her, and you know it."

"The only reason I turned to any of those men was because you never showed me any affection! I was left alone in bed at night, while you pined over your lover," Karin screeched angrily. "We could have been so good together, we still can," her voice had gotten lower, and I could just imagine her running her long nails down the front of Itachi's shirt. My teeth gnashed together.

Itachi's low laughter rang out. "Why would I want you when I have the one I love? Even if Naruto never wanted to be with me again, I still wouldn't be with you. He is all I'll ever want or need." A warmth ran through my body at those words. So lost in what I'd heard I almost missed the rest of the conversation.

"I bet you wouldn't be so high and proud if everyone knew you preferred men," Karin's malicious tone was full of anger. To my surprise, Itachi just chuckled.

"Go ahead, I'll even give you a quote if you want to print it in the newspaper," he said. "I never tried to hide it, and it won't affect me whatsoever. But if you want it to be known that the man you married, who had to be manipulated into it, prefers men over you, be my guest." I could hear the smirk in his voice. There was no reply from Karin.

I could hear footsteps come closer to the door. I backed up, my eyes meeting Itachi's as the door swung open. Not seeming surprised to see me there, he gave me a small smile, reaching out to take my hand in his as he exited the room. I could see Fugaku sitting behind a large desk, fuming as he took in Itachi's show of affection to me. Karin was standing near the desk, her furious gaze resting on our entwined hands for a moment before she huffed loudly and turned her back to us.

Before we walked away, Itachi faced his father once more. "I won't apologize for my actions. I told you I never wanted the company, but you wouldn't listen. It's deplorable how you treat Sasuke. You act like he's a very distant relative instead of your son; it's a wonder he even has anything to do with you. He is doing an exceptional job running the company, and if you'd give him half a chance you'd see that. I also made sure you couldn't take the company away from him, so don't even try it. You've already wasted twenty-five years of your son's life, don't waste anymore and lose the chance to know your future grandchildren." He shut the door, and we walked back to the sunroom at the front of the house where the party was.

Sakura grinned when she noticed our hands clasped, and I rolled my eyes at her playfully. We made our way over to her and Sasuke, Itachi leading them to a corner of the room for a little privacy.

"Congratulations little brother, Sakura," he told them, a true smile on his face. "I'm going to take Naruto home, I think we've worn out our welcome for now." Sasuke nodded, and I gave Sakura a hug in farewell. She ran over to where a long table had been set up for her gifts and the cake Itachi's mom had had delivered. She came back with two wrapped plates, handing them to me.

"Here's some cake, you can eat it later," she made a motion with her hand and mouthed 'Call me later!'. I laughed, and let Itachi tug me out of the house to his car, stopping briefly to say goodbye to Mikoto. We stepped out into the late afternoon sunlight, and he finally let go of my hand to walk around to the driver's side of his car; once the car was unlocked I placed the cake in the backseat and climbed into the front. We remained silent for several minutes as he drove us back towards the city.

I peeked at him from the corner of my eye. I didn't know if he was upset with me for spying on him or not, and even though he didn't look angry you could never tell with him. He caught me staring and gave me a questioning look. "What is it?"

I shook my head. "Nothing," I muttered. I glanced out the window before turning to face him, twisting my body in the seat. "You're not mad that I spied on you? I wasn't intending to, I was only looking for you when I heard your dad's voice."

He sighed. "No, I'm not angry with you. Actually I'm a little glad you heard us, because what I told my father was only a few of the things I've wanted to tell you since I came back." He gave me a quick look, then pulled onto the shoulder of the highway. He cut the engine, and turned to me fully.

"I meant what I said. You are all I want. I know I hurt you, and I don't deserve a second chance, but if you let me I'll prove that it'll be different this time. I don't care how long it takes, I only want to be with you, no one else."

My breath caught in my throat. His gaze was so solemn, his black eyes intense with his vow. Yes, he'd hurt me, but could I do the same and hurt him by denying what we feel for each other? I did still love him, no matter how much I'd hated myself for it when he'd been gone. And in the end I'd not only be hurting him, but myself as well if I didn't give him a chance.

I unfastened my seatbelt, then crawled over the center console and into his lap. He appeared surprised for a moment, then a sexy smile lifted his lips as his arms curled around me. I did what I'd been longing to do for the past month and ran my fingers through his soft raven-black hair, oblivious of other motorists passing us. His hands came up to cup my face, his thumbs rubbing light circles on my cheekbones. I stared at his lips before moving closer to brush my mouth over his.

Itachi's hands slid into my own blonde mane, tilting my head and deepening our contact. I groaned, and he took that opportunity to plunge his tongue in. I sank down onto him further, my knees resting on either side of his hips and causing our groins to rub against one another. I sucked on his tongue, pulling the muscle deeper into my cavern and began grinding on his lap. His hands left my hair and wandered down my back, finally stopping to cup my ass and squeeze lightly. I could feel how hard Itachi was through his pants, my own cock rock-hard and throbbing. He controlled the movements, restricting my body's thrusts down on him until I thought I'd go mad.

Grunting in frustration, I could almost feel the smirk on his lips as he leaned me back, bending my body to get a better grip on me. Unfortunately, I could only go so far, and as I hit the steering wheel, my body pushed on the horn. The loud noise broke us apart, our breaths panting in the silence of the car. Itachi began to chuckle, and after catching my breath a bit I did as well. I realized exactly where we were, but luckily there wasn't a lot of traffic on the road. I could only imagine what the people who were driving by must have thought at the sight of us. Not like I really care.

I cleared my throat. "I think we should hurry up and get back before a cop comes along and gives us a ticket," I said, climbing off his lap and back into my seat. Itachi sent me an amused smirk, "It would be one ticket I wouldn't mind."

Gathering my courage, I met his eyes. "We can always finish this at my place," I told him in a low voice, the words a bit rushed. I'd said it fast so I wouldn't lose my nerve. His face turned serious.

"Are you sure, Naruto? I don't want to pressure you into anything." I could tell he was just as anxious as I was, but for the first time since we'd begun seeing each other again I decided not to fight my body's reactions to him and instead act on them.

I nodded. "Yeah," I said, my face hot. Itachi watched me for a couple of seconds more before making a decision. He gave me a soft smile and cranked the car, pulling back out into traffic and heading for my apartment.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story.

**AN:** I'm sorry for the wait (again!), but I've been working on two other stories as well, and my computer has been acting up on me this past week. This chapter was a bit hard, and I'm not altogether happy with it. And this story is gonna be longer than I thought, at least a few more chapters to go after this one.

Thanks to **Miko Vampire**, **The Ice Mistress**, **erisreigned**, **demon'sLOver**, **xXxCrAzY4VaMpIrEsxXx**, **Yumi-nachan**, **xxRainbow-muffinsxx**, and **jtwsnw20** for your reviews.

**Chapter 6**

The twin ringing and buzzing of my phone grabbed my attention as Itachi pulled up in front of my apartment. Pulling the phone out of my pocket, I checked the caller ID and saw it was my mother. Groaning, knowing she'd just continue to call if I hit the ignore button, I flipped my cell open. "Hey, mom!" I said as cheerfully as I could.

"Don't you 'hey, mom' me! Why is it I have to hear about you seeing Itachi again from Sakura instead of my own son?" Disappointment laced her tone. I sighed. Sakura and her big mouth. The reason I hadn't told her is because I knew she wouldn't be happy. She'd never really approved of me dating and living with Itachi, and her anger at what he'd done had nearly surpassed my own.

"I was going to tell you-"

She cut me off with a huff. "I don't know why you'd even want to talk to that man again after what he did. If he'll do it once, he'll do it again."

Standing by the doors leading into my building, I shuffled my feet anxiously. Itachi watched me closely, knowing something was going on. I hoped the volume on my phone wasn't too loud. My mother was silent a moment before she pressed on.

"Look sweetheart, I'm not trying to be nosy and interfering, I just don't want to see you get hurt again. Sometimes you're too forgiving like your father." That was a familiar mantra I'd heard almost all my life: I'm too much like my father. Of the two, my father was the calmer, more rational one with the forgiving heart, while my mother tended to be hotheaded and jump into things without thinking. And boy could she hold a grudge. She'd gotten into a fight with one of her old friends from school several years ago and still had yet to talk to her again.

After my continued lack of speech she sighed. "Alright, I'll quit talking about it. But don't think this is finished, young man. We're going to have a long talk when you come to dinner tonight. And no arguments!"

I grimaced. Damn, I'd forgotten that I'd promised my parents I would have dinner with them. "Okay, mom. I'll see you in a little bit. Bye." I hung up the phone, meeting Itachi's questioning look.

"I'm sorry, but I have to head to my parents' house. I promised my mom I'd come over for dinner tonight." Luckily the conversation had cooled me off, and I could think a bit more levelly now. As much as I would love to be with Itachi again, it would cause some complications right now that would be too much to handle. It was too soon; I didn't want to rush things. But damn if he didn't make it hard, pun intended.

Itachi nodded. "I couldn't help but hear. Would you like me to come with you?" If he was disappointed, he kept it well hidden.

For one second I was tempted to say yes, but the image of my mother's angry face if Itachi showed up with me made me shake my head. "No, I don't think that'd be a good idea. I'm sorry, but I need to go ahead and get over there." I could just imagine how my mother would be standing beside the door, tapping her foot impatiently, if I was late.

He nodded, walking over to me. Tilting my head back, he kissed me long and slow before moving back and going to his car. "I'll call you later; maybe we can have dinner tomorrow?"

Giving him a small smile, I agreed and stood watching as he drove out of the parking lot. Taking out my phone, I called a taxi and waited by the curb. I didn't own a car, mainly because I knew I couldn't afford the payments and with gas prices so high; I was glad I was only a few minutes from work so I could walk.

The taxi arrived about ten minutes later, and after giving the driver the address to my parents' house, I leaned back against the seat and absently watched the scenery go by. I loved going to my parents', but right now I was dreading it, knowing of the lecture I was about to receive from my mother. I knew she wouldn't be happy when she found out about Itachi being back in town, or especially that I was seeing him again. My dad had been just as angry when I'd told them about Itachi leaving, but my mom was more vocal with her displeasure.

It was pushing five o'clock when the taxi pulled up in front of my parents' little cottage-style home. The house was red brick, with light yellow shutters around the windows. Both cars were in the driveway; I knew my dad was here, probably in the garage puttering around with his tools. He loved to work on cars, and most likely there was some sort of partly disassembled vehicle in the garage.

Paying the cabby, I climbed out onto the small lawn and walked up to the front door. Stepping into the living room, I immediately caught the smell of roasting chicken. My stomach growled in anticipation; I hadn't had my mother's cooking in a few weeks. Shutting the door behind me, I headed further into the living room. "Mom! Dad! I'm here!" I called out.

Glancing around, I saw everything was as I remembered. The living room was small but cozy; a floral print sofa in blue, green, and light pink on a white background was pushed against the wall under the large window, the TV and small entertainment center on the opposite wall. A matching loveseat was to the right of the sofa, and a small oak coffee table covered by a large pale blue doily rested in front of the couch. Various pictures were scattered on the walls, most of me and my parents during various stages of my childhood and teen years. A red brick fireplace was across from the loveseat, a light blue recliner placed partly in front of it. More pictures and a vase of pink flowers were on the white mantel, an antique mirror hanging on the wall above. The light oak floor gleamed in the light, making the room airy and bright.

The room had pretty much stayed the same since I was a child. Same white walls, furniture in the same place, pictures everywhere. The only thing that really changed was the amount of pictures. My mother was a nut about them. I shook my head as I spotted the one of me in second grade; I'd decided to shave my eyebrows for some reason (I'd been playing in the bathroom and found my dad's razors), and unfortunately the school pictures were the day after. Needless to say I looked a bit weird in the photo.

"Naruto? Is that you?" I heard my mom call out.

"Yeah, it's me," I said in a loud voice. The kitchen was at the back of the house, so it was sometimes hard for her to hear anyone when she was in there. I walked back to the kitchen, stopping in the doorway. It was a galley-style kitchen, just enough room to open the stove door and miss the cabinets behind it. My father was planning to update the counters and cabinet doors; they were all white, which looked really plain since the appliances were white as well. And I noticed the Formica wasn't in the greatest shape, some of it scratched up in places. I spied my mother at the stove, her still-bright red hair tied back in a bun as she stirred something in a pot. A smile lit up her still-youthful face as she saw me.

"Hi, sweetie! I'm making your favorite, homemade fettuccine with a four-cheese sauce, herb roasted chicken, and Italian-style green beans," she said. I could feel my mouth drool a bit when she told me what she was making. She was a fantastic cook, and the best thing I liked about her cooking was that she made the noodles herself. So much better than buying the ones in a box.

"Now, it's gonna be about a half hour to forty-five minutes before everything's done; why don't you go out to the garage with your father?" She shooed me out of the kitchen, and I laughed lightly as I went out the back door to the garage. I'd been right in my guess that he was out there. I was also a bit relieved that she didn't start in on me the second I walked in the house.

The smell of engine oil and paint hit my nose as I walked into the garage. My dad was at his workbench, his back to me as he cleaned something. His head swiveled to me as the door shut, and a grin settled on his face. "Hey son, glad to see you could make it!" He laid his rag down and came over to me for a hug. He wasn't that much taller than me, standing at about 5'10" or 5'11". Our blonde hair was the same shade of golden-yellow, and I'd also gotten the same cerulean blue eyes.

I returned his hug, following him to his bench to see what he was working on. Various tools lined the walls of the garage around his workbench. The almost-empty body frame of what looked to be a 70's model car was in the middle of the floor on ramps. I grew up with him fixing cars, but they never really interested me. I liked to drive them, just not repair them.

We talked for a while, the time passing fast until my mother called for us to come eat. I walked inside and went to the dining room, the table already set by my mom and laden with the food she'd cooked. My dad came in a minute later, having washed his hands. We all sat at the round pine table, my father saying a quick grace before we began filling our plates. We talked quietly as we ate, mostly about them as I tried to steer them clear of any topic about me.

But the conversation veered toward me as we finished our meal, just as I knew and feared it would. Apparently my dad hadn't known that Itachi was back, but my mother wasted no time on informing him about it, and the fact that we were seeing each other again.

I sighed; this is a subject I wanted to avoid. I knew they'd both disapprove of me seeing Itachi again, and I was proven right by the two pairs of eyes now pointed at me.

"So you've been with that Uchiha boy again, and you didn't bother to let us know?" I could hear the disappointment and slight anger in my father's tone. "Son, why would you risk putting yourself through all that again?" A slight pause as a puzzled frown drew his brows down sharply. "Didn't he get married?"

I nodded. "But he's divorced now. And he only married her to help his brother." Their reproachful looks didn't falter. I almost found myself unable to meet their gazes. This whole thing made me feel like a child again. I hated it.

My mother was persistent in getting her word in. Unfortunately I had this in common with her, and it tended to make us argue with each other a lot. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but I just don't approve of you seeing him, no matter what reason he gave for leaving. I know you're an adult, but you're still my baby, and I don't want to see you hurt."

I stood. "Mom, I love you, but I know what I'm doing. I'm almost twenty-five, I can take care of myself. I'm not going to stop seeing him; I want to try to work things out with him. I know it'll be hard, but I think our relationship is worth it."

She sighed loudly and leaned back, studying me for several tense moments. Finally she seemed to nod to herself. "All right," she said, "you bring him here for Sunday dinner tomorrow. I want to have a little chat with him myself, to clear the air so to speak."

Wait, what?! I sputtered, not knowing what to say. My dad just grinned at me and shook his head; he knows not to argue with her when she has her mind set on something. Oh man, I almost feel sorry for Itachi after my mother gets through with him.

**~TBC~**

_**Sorry for the non-action in this chapter after the slight teaser, but don't worry, there __**will**__ be a lemon later on.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story.

**AN:** I am sooooo sorry for the wait! I have had my ass kicked by writer's block, then for the past week and a half I've been sick, the medicine and antibiotics I'm on made me so tired and worn out that I could barely stand to keep my head up. But I finally finished the chapter, I really hope you guys like it, though I don't care too much for the ending, it just wouldn't come out the way I wanted it to.

**Chapter 7**

I got home a little after nine that night. Grumbling to myself, I dialed Sakura's cell. She picked up after the third ring with a cheery, "Hey Naruto!" Gotta love caller ID.

"When did you tell my mom that I was seeing Itachi again? And why didn't you tell me you'd told her?" My voice came out a bit annoyed.

"Oh, uh, she told you, huh?" Sakura let out a light laugh in nervousness.

I scowled at the wall. "Yeah. And now she wants him to come over tomorrow for dinner and 'grill' him herself."

Silence reigned on the phone for a few seconds. "Oops," Sakura said.

"Oops? Sakura, you know what my mom's like! How could you tell her?" Okay, I know I shouldn't be mad with Sakura for telling my mom, but I figured it would have gone better if I'd told my parents myself. Yeah right.

"I didn't mean to! But I went to the grocery store Thursday and saw your mom there, and we got to talking, and it just slipped out! You know how your mom is, she can get you to spill your guts without even saying a word."

I sighed. Yeah, that pretty much sums up my mother. All she had to do was give me 'the look' and I'd be confessing to things I hadn't even done. Which is why I got in a LOT of trouble as a child.

"Well, she wants to have a chat with Itachi. I haven't even called him yet. And if I don't bring him over I'll never get a moment's rest. You know how persistent my mom is." I sat back on the couch, setting my feet on the coffee table and reclining back. I was tired, and wanted nothing more than to go to bed, but I still had to call Itachi and let him know about the dinner tomorrow.

Sakura chuckled a bit. "Oh, I almost feel sorry for Itachi. I know exactly how brutal your mom can be." An unbidden smile came to my lips; I'd thought the same thing. It was kinda funny to be worried about a man, who was a member of a very powerful family, have to face my mother. I snickered at the thought, my mood definitely lighter.

"Okay, I guess I should call him now. I'll talk to you later, tell Sasuke I said hi," I told her. She gave a quick, "Bye," and we both hung up. I called Itachi's cellphone and waited for him to pick up.

Like Sakura, he answered after only a few rings. "Hello, Naruto," his deep voice spoke. I shivered a bit; god, but I loved his voice. My face flamed at the thought, and I couldn't help but be happy he couldn't see me right now.

"Hey, I'm not disturbing you right now, am I?" I asked. I think I was looking for an excuse not to have to ask him to come to my parents'.

"No, I was just watching television. Is something wrong?"

I mentally smacked myself. Quit being such a baby! Clearing my throat, I told him why I'd called.

"Um, my parents wanted me to see if you'd come over for Sunday dinner tomorrow. But I have to warn you, my mom wants to basically chew you out and probably ask 50 questions about your intentions for me. She's a bit overprotective."

I could hear Itachi's light laughter over the line. "I think I can hold my own against your mother. And I would be happy to have dinner with you and your parents. What time should I pick you up?"

Damn, he was taking this lightly. Then again, he'd only met my mother a handful of times, and he'd never been on her bad side before. My mother was the epitome of 'feisty redhead'.

"Well, we normally eat around six, so you can get me at around five since it takes over half an hour to get there," I told him. I had to admit I was nervous for him to go. My mother was planning on giving him the third degree, and knowing how she spoke her mind without mincing words, it would probably be a bit… nerve-wracking.

We talked for a while, and he finally bade me goodnight when he heard me try to stifle a yawn. I saw with some surprise that it was past eleven; we'd been talking for almost an hour and a half. I hung up after we said our goodbyes, and as I crawled into bed I couldn't help but dread tomorrow.

xxxxx

Itachi arrived a little early. He was dressed casually in dark slacks and a cream-colored pullover sweater. He sat on my couch watching me as I rushed about, finishing getting ready. I gave up on my hair after nearly twenty minutes of fighting with it. No matter how much mousse or gel I used, it spiked up in all directions. I'd gotten it cut last week, and that seemed to have made it more untamable than ever. Giving up in disgust, I walked into the living room and met Itachi's smirking gaze. His eyes ran over my hair, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Don't even say a word," I said, walking past him to the door. I slipped my shoes on and jerkily opened the door, gesturing for him to exit so I could lock it. I know it was stupid, but my nerves were going haywire. My mother was normally a very easy-going person, but when it came to me and my dad she could get very protective.

We got into his car, and he edged out onto the highway as I gave him directions. "You know, I still remember how to get to your parents' house," he informed me drily. I simply grunted at him, gazing out the window and staying silent. I had no idea what would happen, and I had to admit I was nervous as hell for Itachi to be in the same room as my mother.

Almost as if he read my mind, Itachi looked over at me. "It won't be that bad," he murmured. I scoffed silently to myself.

We finally arrived in front of my parents' house. I got out of the car slowly, dragging my feet a bit as I walked up the front path to the door. Itachi was right behind me, a bottle of red wine in his hands; I was a bit surprised he'd remembered that my dad had an appreciation for red wine (though I don't know why, Itachi seemed to store every tidbit of info he heard). I opened the door, and saw my dad on the couch reading the Sunday paper.

"Hey dad," I called out softly. He glanced up and smiled when he saw me, his smile fading just a little at the appearance of Itachi. He set aside his paper and stood, giving me a quick hug before facing Itachi.

"Uchiha," he said coolly, his hand reaching out stiffly to shake Itachi's.

"Mr. Namikaze," Itachi responded (I had always used my mom's last name, don't really know why), taking the proffered hand. I watched the exchange awkwardly, wanting this day to be over already. My mom walked in then, wooden spatula in hand as she announced, "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. The table's already set, go ahead and get seated." She headed back into the kitchen, shooting a baleful look at Itachi as she went.

"Come on," I led Itachi into the dining room, taking a seat at the table, Itachi next to me. My mother brought in a large covered dish, still steaming, setting it down on a pot holder in the middle of the table. She lifted the lid, and I recognized her homemade lasagna. Despite my anxiety, my mouth watered at the aroma rising from the dish.

My mom threw me a quick smile when she noticed the look on my face. "I figured since you hadn't had a home cooked meal in a while, not counting yesterday, then I'd make another of your favorites." Her eyes chilled considerably when they passed over Itachi, but he either didn't see or ignored it. Great, is this how the whole damned meal is gonna pass? I frowned, not wanting a big fight or argument to start. But I knew it was just a matter of time – most likely until we finished eating – before one of my parents started in on Itachi.

We all helped ourselves to the food, and the meal passed in relative silence. I had grown quite uncomfortable, and kept sneaking glances at Itachi to try to determine his mood. But he seemed to have his Uchiha mask on, and I couldn't figure out what he was feeling. I really freaking hate when he does that, and he knows it. I was about to kick his leg under the table just to try to get a reaction out of him when my mother finally spoke.

"Mr. Uchiha," she began, setting her fork down and pushing her plate away. She didn't acknowledge his "Itachi, please," continuing on. "I'm going to have to be honest, I don't like the fact that my son is seeing you again. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those mothers who is constantly trying to sway her gay son into dating women. Both my husband and I support our son wholeheartedly, and we're very proud of him. What I object to is _you_."

I tensed. I'd almost forgotten how damn blunt she could be at times. "Shit, mom!" I gasped, red creeping over my face.

"Watch your language, young man," she scolded while keeping her eye contact with Itachi. "I can't help but worry for Naruto. You've already hurt him, deeply, and I don't want to see him hurt like that again. And I certainly don't want to have to worry about whether or not he gets his heart stomped on again if you decide to leave him a second time."

I glanced back and forth between them, hoping that an all-out fight doesn't break out between them. I looked at my dad briefly, but he just shook his head. "Don't look at me, I haven't won an argument with your mother in twenty years," he said with a laugh, seeming content to watch everything unfold before him. I scowled, my attention back on Itachi and my mom.

Itachi sat stiffly, his face emotionless as always. My mother eyed him closely, watching for his reaction, but I could see she was a bit disappointed in not getting a rise out of him.

Sighing, Itachi straightened in his chair and spoke softly. "I regret what happened with Naruto before, it was not my intention to hurt him, but I did. I will do everything in my power to prove to him that something like that will never happen again, and I hope one day both you and your husband can accept how much he means to me."

"He means so much you had to get married? And you didn't even have the decency to tell him about it?" Her words were filled with scorn, her hands clenched on the table as she glared at him. "And what, next time you get married to some other woman you just expect him to wait on the sidelines again or be your dirty little secret?"

"My marriage was a mistake, revolving around extenuating circumstances that I will not divulge at this time, but which Naruto knows about. And I would never ask Naruto to go against his beliefs or morals by being my 'dirty little secret'." I could hear the disdain in his voice as he repeated my mother's words. "I want to be with only him, and I will not hide our relationship." I gazed at him with a small smile, his words taking the sting out of what my mother had said.

My mom looked thoughtful for a moment as she paused in her verbal attack. "Alright, I do believe that. But what about the next time you have a family problem and Naruto gets pushed aside again? Frankly I don't see how it's fair that you just expect him to keep coming back when you hurt him. My son is too forgiving, but I'm not." Her green eyes bore into Itachi with her statement.

Before Itachi could say another word, I stood up. "Mom, that's enough! I know you're just trying to protect me, but I'm an adult. This is between me and Itachi. Please, just drop it for now." I then pleaded with her silently, my eyes boring into hers. She softened, nodding slightly as she relaxed.

I moved away from the table. "I think it's time we left, I have to be at work early tomorrow, and it's been a hectic day already." Itachi followed me as I headed for the front door, my mom calling me to wait a moment. She rushed into the living room holding a covered dish.

"Here, I packed you some extra lasagna. 'Least I know you'll have one good meal this week," she muttered. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself; she hated that I tended to eat a lot of fast food.

I gave her a quick hug as Itachi and I walked out the door. Her gaze was still a bit unfriendly towards Itachi, and I frowned in annoyance at her when I caught the look she cast him. I sighed heavily as I followed Itachi to his car, holding the dish in my lap. We were silent as he reversed out of the driveway and headed towards the busy highway.

I glanced over at Itachi, trying to figure out his mood. He was silent, his gaze studying the road as he drove. He must have felt my stare, his mouth twitching in a slight smirk as he asked, "What?"

"Nothing," I said, turning to look out the window a moment. "I'm just glad you didn't start a fight with my mom. Even though she basically had already started one." I scowled to myself. No way would I take Itachi back to my parents' house after how my mother acted towards him. I know she was just angry on my behalf, but still.

"She's your mother, and wants to protect you. Count yourself lucky you have a mother who is so protective and actually cares about what's going on in your life." I rolled my head to see him in the darkness of the car, knowing that his statement had more to do with his own mother than mine. For all that Mikoto loved her sons, she and Fugaku had never been very loving towards him or Sasuke as they grew up. Itachi and I had sort of swapped stories of our childhood a few times, and it was a bit sad to know that his mother never kissed him goodnight or gave hugs. Given how affectionate my parents both are, I can't imagine growing up like that.

I looked at him for a few minutes before clearing my throat. I was nervous at what I was about to ask, and to be honest it was a big step for me to take. "So, um, you wanna come in with me at my place?" I realized that I could be setting myself up for heartbreak again, but right now all I cared about was that I wanted him. And judging by how he sped up the car and gave me a sidelong smile, he wanted me just as much.

_**Okay, I know not much happened in this chapter, but I've fought with the second half of this for months. I'm not completely happy with it – I rewrote it at least five times – but next chapter will finally have the lemon. I'll try to have it done as soon as I can, but it will probably be a few weeks as I'm still sick, and I have three other fics I'm working on.**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story.

**AN:** I know some of you are probably wanting to kill me for leaving you hanging, I'm really sorry about that! This was a bit harder to write than I thought, my respect for authors who write in first POV's for their stories just went up by like a thousand. This was supposed to be the last chapter, but I'm still having trouble with the ending, so I decided to break it up and post the first of it. This chapter is really nothing but a long lemon (the longest I've ever written), and I'm _really_ nervous about how it turned out. Hope you guys like it!

Thank you to **brokenfromthepast**, **xXxCrAzY4VaMpIrEsxXx**, **jtwsnw20**, **chibinaru-sama**, **xxRainbow-muffinsxx**, **saya420**, **Yumi-nachan**, **claudea**, and **Jonouchi the pup** (whose review got me off my butt and helped me decide to go ahead and post this) for all your reviews.

**Chapter 8**

Itachi wasted no time in racing to my apartment. I'm actually a bit surprised he didn't get pulled over for a ticket; he seemed to fly through traffic at high speeds, other motorists blurs as we sped past. A small smile curled my lips. It seems he wanted me as much as I wanted him. I'd fought my attraction for him these last weeks, but after hearing his words to my mother, I decided that I would no longer let the past rule me. I want him, he wants me. That's all I cared about right now.

He pulled up in the parking lot of my building, quickly finding an empty spot and maneuvering the car into it. We jumped out and headed for the entrance, the beeping of his car alarm echoing behind us.

As we all but ran up the three flights of stairs, Itachi grabbed hold of my hand to keep me close. My fingers tightened over his, letting him know I enjoyed the contact. Black eyes glanced back at me briefly, his pale features adorned with a sultry look that promised no sleep until tomorrow. That was just fine with me.

Fumbling in my pocket for my keys, we made it to my door. I finally got the door open after fighting with my slightly trembling hands, and we barreled inside. I barely registered the door being slammed behind me as I was pushed up against the nearest wall, Itachi's hands sliding down to my hips and lifting me up. Our mouths crashed together, and I moaned in wanton need as his tongue slipped between my lips and plunged inside. I took handfuls of his soft black hair and held on, kissing back just as fervently.

_****Mature content edited out, to read the full chapter go to my profile for links to AFF and fictionesque.****_

I turned slightly so I could see him, and grinned crookedly up at him as he shifted on my narrow bed to make room for me. "Again?" I laughed.

"Like I said, I like to be prepared," he stated at the look on my face. I didn't know whether to laugh or berate him for his presumption about us having sex, even if it did happen as he expected. As he drew me into another kiss and let his hands wander over my body heatedly, I decided I didn't really care at the moment and stopped thinking as sensation took over once more.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story.

**Note:** So here's the last chapter, sorry for the long wait! I got stuck on the last part, I've noticed that if I update chapters fast, I tend to get blocked on later ones. So kinda sappy and boring, but I'm happy with it overall. I hope you guys enjoy it!:)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited and alerted my story. And I just want to let everyone know that I have decided I will not leave ffnet (not completely anyway), but with any future lemons I write I will include a link to the site(s) where they can be found. I am already on AFF with the same username, and I am now also at fictionesque(dot)com under the name Lanies_Kitsune.

**Chapter 9**

_**~Eight Months Later~**_

I glanced around at the lavishly decorated banquet hall, Itachi standing close to my right side. Sasuke and Sakura were having their first dance as a married couple in the middle of the dance floor, Foreigner's 'I Wanna Know What Love Is' playing softly. I'd helped Sakura pick out her song choices for the reception, most being retro dance songs; who knew she was such a huge 80's music fan?

The wedding had been beautiful, performed in a large chapel where Sakura and her parents had been parishioners for years; the chapel had been just big enough for the 500 or so guests. Surprisingly, Sasuke had acquiesced to Sakura's pleas of an American wedding instead of a traditional Japanese ceremony. Itachi had told me how Mikoto had had her hopes up for that, but Sasuke had sided with Sakura, wanting this day to be perfect for her. And I had to admit, she looked stunning in her pale cream gown. The strapless dress was form-fitting to her figure, and the skirt flared out just below her waist with a long train in the back. She'd removed her long veil after the ceremony, and it lay on one of the buffet tables, wrapped carefully by her mother.

I fidgeted with the neckline of my tux for probably the hundredth time. Itachi smirked down at me, "Leave it alone, you're only making it wrinkled. We still have some pictures to take with Sasuke and Sakura, and you know she's going to be very upset if you don't look your best." I gave him a nasty look, causing him to chuckle lightly and turn back to watch his brother and new sister-in-law finish their dance. I sighed, pulling my hand away from the collar of this accursed suit. I had balked at the notion of having to wear it, but after being asked to be in the wedding party by Sakura (she'd pulled the puppy eyes on me), how could I refuse?

The music changed to a more upbeat song, and with a smile Sakura headed right for us with Sasuke in tow. I set my glass of wine down on a nearby table and gave her a hug. "Hey Sasuke, mind if I steal a dance with your wife?" He 'hn'ed at me and let go of Sakura after giving her a quick kiss and loving smile, and I led her onto the dance floor once again.

"Wow, I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that," Sakura said in a dreamy voice.

"What?"

"Being called Sasuke's wife." Her bright green eyes shifted to look at Sasuke, then she giggled and glanced at me. "Okay, so have you and Itachi set a date yet?"

I smiled. "Not yet, but you'll be the first person to know when we do, after my parents of course." Itachi had asked me to marry him two weeks ago, and I was now wearing a platinum band on my left ring finger. It wasn't a flashy ring, thank god, just a small row of diamonds in the middle. But I loved it. We plan to have a ceremony here, nothing too fancy, and have our honeymoon somewhere tropical (I just hate the cold). But I totally draw the line at having to wear another freaking tux.

Sakura seemed to read my mind. "It really means a lot to me that you wore this suit, even though I know you despise it." A sly grin grew on her face. "You could always borrow my wedding gown if you want."

I snorted. "I'd rather walk naked down the aisle. Besides, wouldn't it be bad if I looked prettier in the dress than you?" I teased. We both laughed and chatted aimlessly for the duration of the song playing, then I escorted her back to Sasuke as the song ended. He was talking with Itachi, who immediately pulled me close the moment I was within reach.

"I think this next dance belongs to me," he said, nodding towards his brother and Sakura. He took my hand and guided me back to the floor, where about half of the other wedding guests were now dancing. A slow song played, and we swayed together amidst the other dancers.

I laid my head on his chest as we danced, going with the rhythm of the music. For all the joking I did with Sakura, I was really looking forward to the day Itachi and I had our own ceremony. I'd been giving a lot of thought about what day to pick for our wedding, and had a few dates in mind. And my mom had said we could use their backyard for the wedding, since it was huge and had a beautiful garden full of roses and other various flowers with a gazebo. I would talk about it with Itachi later.

I noticed my mother and father dancing not too far from us. My mom gave a stiff smile to Itachi, then winked at me over his shoulder as she laughed at something my dad said. She and Itachi had learned to get along somewhat, though it wasn't always easy. She'd pitched a fit when I'd brought him back to their house a little more than a month after our last dinner and announced that we were moving in together again. He'd kept his old condo, the one we'd shared, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay there with all the memories attached to it. He said he'd never taken Karin there; he'd bought a new one when they'd moved back. I had to admit that I loved that apartment, and a part of me was glad that _she_ had never even stepped foot inside.

Since Itachi spent most of his nights at my apartment, he'd argued that it made more sense to just move back in together. I was a little leery at first, a small part of me always worrying about whether or not he'd up and leave me again, not wanting to end up going through the same thing with him again. But I also remembered his real reason for leaving in the first place (even though it hadn't made me feel better about being left behind I did understand his reasons), how he'd basically told his father off, and had given the company and his position to Sasuke. And I had to be honest, I wanted to spend as much time with him as I could.

My mother argued with me for weeks over my decision. It got so bad at one point that we barely even talked to one another. Itachi had surprisingly backed off as he saw how upset I was over the whole thing, not pushing me into a decision.

I finally decided to do what _I_ wanted to do, and move in with Itachi. My mom just about blew a gasket when she found out, but after I calmly explained to her (i.e. shouted at each other for a few hours until our voices were hoarse) that my decision was final and I wouldn't let anyone talk me out of it, she eventually came to accept that Itachi and I were together. And he's been great the past months, proving to not just me but to everyone that he was serious and wasn't going anywhere. We moved back into our condo; we'd talked it over and decided that it made no sense to buy or rent another when there was nothing wrong with the one he already owned. And I had to admit, it felt good to be back in it.

And since the move Itachi and my mom had basically come to a kind of truce. She didn't go out of her way to be nice to him, and most of the time she was a bit snarky, but Itachi just shrugged it off. I was just happy when they could be in the same room together and not have her bite his head off. Personally I think Itachi found the whole thing funny, he always seemed so much… perkier after his little bouts with her. Go figure.

Fugaku had not come to the wedding; he'd been for the most part estranged from his children since Sasuke had taken over the company. The old man had raged that his sons had betrayed him, his stubbornness not letting him see how much happier Itachi was or how much smoother and more efficiently the business now ran. Not that Itachi did a bad job – I shudder to even contemplate suggesting an Uchiha was lacking at something – but Sasuke truly loved running the company, and anyone could tell.

Of course, old man Uchiha did receive an invitation to the wedding, hell Sakura herself even went to talk to him about coming, but the man had refused to see her. Sasuke had brushed it off; he and Fugaku had never gotten along. I knew it must hurt or at least sadden Sasuke that his own father wouldn't show up to his wedding, but he'd simply shrugged and said it was no less than what he'd expected. Made me grateful to have such a loving dad as I did.

Mikoto, though, had made an effort to become more involved in Itachi's and Sasuke's lives. I think she felt bad about not being there for them when they were kids, and maybe from the guilt she felt for driving us apart by helping Fugaku push Karin on Itachi – not that she ever said anything about it, but I could see a bit of regret in her eyes when she'd sometimes look at me and Itachi. But I didn't hold a grudge against her, especially not now with Itachi and I back together. She came over to our apartment a lot, eating dinner with us at least two or three times a week. And she helped with Sasuke's wedding, as much as Sakura allowed her to anyway. She and Sakura get along pretty well, and she's said more than once that she is looking forward to having grandchildren.

Karin was gone, having moved somewhere east, New York I think. She'd already gone through the five million from the divorce, and last I heard she was latched onto some old rich tycoon who was reported to have made his fortune in designing weapons for the military; it was all over the papers. I felt sorry for the poor bastard, but was glad she was gone.

Breaking out of my thoughts, I noticed the song had ended and Itachi was leading me out of the room. There was a small terrace just off the room, and he led me to the glass door leading to it. He shut the door and immediately the noise from the reception was dulled. I sighed in relief and gazed about; the terrace overlooked a tiny garden, and someone had strung up white lights all over the privacy fence enclosing the space. It was just after six, and being early September the sun was already sinking into the horizon, so the lights were now twinkling in the dusk.

Leaning back against Itachi, I closed my eyes and savored just being near him. His arms wrapped around my waist and held me close. "I can't wait for when we have our own wedding," I said quietly. I felt him nod his head in agreement as he breathed against the side of my neck.

"You know your mother has her heart set on you in another tux for it," he said teasingly. I huffed at him.

"I know. Damn it! I don't think I'll be able to get out of it either. You know how she is when she wants her way." But silently I told myself that I'd wear one for him too; I planned to make it a surprise.

Itachi chuckled. "A trait she seems to have passed on to you." He paused a moment. "Did you have a particular day set in mind?"

I tilted my head up to see his face. "I thought maybe the weekend after my birthday, I don't want to try to plan anything for November or December since the holidays would make planning any kind of ceremony a headache, and I really don't want a Valentine's wedding, kinda cliché for me."

I could see him mulling over my suggestion. "Yes, I suppose that would be best, but you do realize that your birthday is only a month away, that would give us between four and five weeks to plan our wedding. Think we can do it?"

"Yeah, I think we can. We'll have my mom and yours to help, and I'm sure when Sakura gets back from her honeymoon she'll help too." He nodded, then his head swiveled to the side as we both heard our names being called. I sighed.

The door creaked open, and Sakura popped her head out to glance around before zeroing in on us. "Hey, I'm about to throw the bouquet and we need you for the last of the pictures, come on!" she gushed happily before retreating back inside and leaving the door open. I could hear the loud squeals of dozens of women as she announced the bouquet toss, and I groaned and leaned back into Itachi before stepping away and moving towards the door.

"Think there's any way we could just elope?" I asked half-jokingly, dragging my feet back into the reception area. Itachi just chuckled at me as he noticed the swarm of females vying to get a better position to catch the small bunch of roses and ribbon in Sakura's hand. She grinned at me as I stepped near the outside perimeter of the group of excited (crazed) women, then turned around and tossed the flowers over her head. For a moment I'd been afraid she was going to throw them at me, but luckily they landed smack in the middle of the now fighting ladies. I shuddered, curling back into Itachi and snatching up a piece of cake from the banquet table beside us.

"Ok," I said after a few bites, "rule number one for our wedding: no flower tossing." Itachi smirked down at me. "Agreed," he murmured, grabbing the fork from my fingers and snagging the last bite of my cake as I laughed. I stared at Sakura and Sasuke, seeing how happy they both are at this moment in time. Suddenly I can't wait for my own wedding. It may have taken almost three years and a lot of heartache and anger to get here, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

**~End~**


End file.
